明覺禪師語錄 3.89

3.89

He cited: "One day, Deshan was late for the meal. Carrying his bowl himself, he went up to the Dharma Hall. Xuefeng saw him and said, 'This old fellow—the bell has not rung, the drum has not sounded; holding your bowl, where are you going?' Deshan thereupon returned [to his room]. Feng related this to Yantou. Tou said, 'Deshan, great as he is, does not understand the final word.' Deshan heard of this and ordered his attendant to summon Yantou to the Abbot's quarters. He asked, 'Do you not approve of this old monk?' Yantou secretly revealed his meaning to him. The next day, when Deshan ascended the hall, it was completely different from usual. Yantou went before the monks' hall, clapped his hands, and laughed loudly, saying, 'How delightful that the old fellow understands the final word! From now on, no one in the world can do anything to him. Even so, he has only three years left.' Mingzhao spoke on Deshan's behalf: 'Bah, bah! Nowhere to go, nowhere to go!'" The Master said, "I once heard tell of a one-eyed dragon, who turned out to have only one eye; little did they know that Deshan was a toothless tiger. If Yantou had not seen through him, how could tomorrow have been different from yesterday? Do you all want to understand the final word? The old barbarian is only permitted to know it; the old barbarian is not permitted to understand it."