大慧普覺禪師語錄 3.52

3.52

Ascending the hall, a monk asked, "Did Śākya close his room in Magadha, and Vimalakīrti shut his mouth in Vaiśālī, because their calculations had not succeeded, or because their tricks were both exhausted?" The Master said, "Their calculations had not succeeded, and their tricks were both exhausted." [The monk] asked, "With question and answer, there is flair everywhere; when there is neither question nor answer, is there still Buddha Dharma or not?" The Master said, "What kind of talk is that?" [The monk] advanced and said, "May I inquire in what place one should practise?" The Master said, "Practise in the place where there is no Buddha Dharma." He then said, "There are question and answer, letting go and gathering in, host and guest, killing and giving life. At the time of giving life, there is no principle of killing; at the time of killing, there is no principle of giving life. The guest has no principle of the host; the host has no principle of the guest. The guest is guest from beginning to end; the host is host from beginning to end. When guest and host intermingle, hand rests on sword right at the gate. Do you not see the Chan traveler just now asking: 'Did Śākya close his room in Magadha, and Vimalakīrti shut his mouth in Vaiśālī, because their calculations had not succeeded, or because their tricks were both exhausted?' This mountain monk answered him: 'Their calculations had not succeeded, and their tricks were both exhausted.' How do you all understand this? If you can understand, the complete guest is the host, the complete host is the guest; the complete gathering in is letting go, the complete letting go is gathering in; the complete killing is giving life, the complete giving life is killing." Then he gave a shout and said, "What place is this to speak such words?" He said to himself, "As long as there is a path to ascend, even loftier people will tread it."