大慧普覺禪師語錄 2.18

2.18

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Anciently, the Buddha ordered five hundred venerables to subdue a venomous dragon. The venerables each exercised their supernatural powers, but none could subdue it. Suddenly a venerable from another realm arrived. The Buddha commanded him to subdue it. The venerable snapped his fingers once before the dragon, and the dragon immediately submitted." The Master said, "Since the supernatural powers of the five hundred venerables were the same as those of the venerable from another realm, why could they not subdue the dragon? Since the supernatural powers of the venerable from another realm were the same as those of the five hundred venerables, why could he subdue it?" He then raised his fly-whisk and said, "Do you understand? / The mandarin ducks are embroidered for all to see, / but the golden needle is never handed over to another." Striking the meditation bench, he stepped down from the seat.