大慧普覺禪師語錄 1.7

1.7

That evening, in an informal gathering, he said: "The Great Way is right before the mouth, yet it is difficult to see before the eyes. If you wish to know the true essence of the Great Way, it is not separated from sounds, forms, and words." Raising his fly-whisk, he said: "This is form." Striking the meditation couch, he said: "This is sound. This mountain monk's mouth chattering away right now is words. What is the true essence of the Great Way?" He gave a shout and said: "This very seeing and hearing is not seeing and hearing; / No remaining sound or form can be presented to you. / If within this you realize there is nothing at all to do, / Essence and function pose no hindrance, whether divided or not. / If divided: when rain falls the ground is wet; when the sky clears the sun comes out; a short month has twenty-nine days, a long month has thirty days. If not divided: the vajra-deity and the earth god rub each other's backs, and with a single rub the bones come out." He continued: "An ancient said: 'Only the very last phrase reaches the iron gate; it blocks the essential crossing, letting neither ordinary nor sage pass.' What is the very last phrase?" After a long pause, he said: "For now, let us not speak of dreams." He slapped the meditation couch and stepped down from the seat.