大慧普覺禪師語錄 4.15

4.15

Minister Zhang arrived. Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "When Dadian drove out the head monk for Master Han Wen, what was the meaning?" The Master said: "A catfish climbs a bamboo pole: a thousand li in a single day." The monk continued: "The student does not understand; I beg the Master to extend compassion." The Master said: "Do you want a second ladle of dirty water?" The monk continued: "Just as the head monk also clicked his teeth three times, where was the fault?" The Master said: "The fault lay in clicking his teeth." The monk continued: "It would be best not to slander that head monk." The Master said: "What principle do you see, that you speak like this?" The monk continued: "Who knows that beyond the distant smoke and waves, there is another fine thought?" The Master said: "It would be best for you not to slander Jingshan." The monk continued: "If today the Minister should ask, 'How old is the Master?' how about that?" The Master said: "Tell him: 'One hundred and twelve years old.'" The monk continued: "Can this be called slandering Jingshan?" The Master said: "You are slandering the Minister again." Then he said: "The ancients said: 'Our school has no verbal phrases, and truly not a single dharma is given to people.' Speaking like this is already to have one's whole body soaked in a cesspool; how much more so to step forward asking 'how' and 'what,' asking about the upward and downward, the three essentials and three mysteries, silver bowls holding snow, and the meaning of hiding the body in the Northern Dipper? Is this not digging another cesspool beside a cesspool? Even though it is like this, if you catch a bit of the scent within the cesspool, only then will you know that the buddhas of the three times, the successive generations of patriarchs, the venerable old masters under heaven, and all good spiritual friends of past and present, are all turning the great wheel of the Dharma within the cesspool. If not yet so, by all means avoid fixing your footing in the cesspool."