圓悟佛果禪師語錄 1.40

1.40

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "Presenting sand as an offering to the Buddha led to the fruit of being a wheel-turning king; what benefit is there today as the Dharma treasure is opened?" The Master said: "A thousand layers, a hundred wraps." The monk advanced: "The departed are reborn in heaven, while those present gain the benefit." The Master said: "There is no need for the ācārya to add further commentary." The monk asked: "Please, Master, point straight to the single path of the transcendent." The Master said: "One blow of the staff smashes empty space." The monk advanced: "Where is the fault?" The Master said: "A fellow who does not know pain and itch." The monk advanced: "This is still Deshan's [way]." The Master said: "This mountain monk has always merely passed through on a borrowed path." He then said: "Blink your eyebrows and you have already missed it, much like pissing in bed with your eyes wide open. Letting things pass according to the ready-made gong'an is precisely the clever child losing their integrity. Whether thus or not thus, you are merely a spiritual tortoise dragging its tail; 'neither mind, nor Buddha, nor thing' is driving a peg into empty space. Having entered so many idle doors and broken portals, it is only a dragon lurking in stagnant water. How do you utter a phrase that drains the deep pool and overturns the mountain peak? The giant spirit raises a hand with scarcely any effort, cleaving Mount Hua into ten thousand folds." He stepped down from the seat.