大慧普覺禪師宗門武庫 1.34

1.34

Master Shen of Letan was a native of Hedong, a dharma heir of Zhenjing. He had an attendant named Wu who happened to be in the guest hall; seeing a firewood end drop down, he suddenly had an awakening. He went straight up to the abbot's quarters to report what he had awakened to, but Master Shen shouted him out. From then on, he lost his mind, took a rope, and hanged himself in the latrine of the Life-Prolonging Hall. At night, he frequently appeared and disappeared in three places—the canon library, the guest hall, and the latrine—moving shoes and handing over water pitchers, which troubled the entire assembly. When Zhantang returned from traveling in Zhejiang and served as head monk, he heard about this matter. In the middle of the night, he purposely went into the latrine of the Life-Prolonging Hall to relieve himself. The wall lamp was faintly glowing and suddenly blew out. Just as he was taking off his robe, Wu brought the water pitcher. Zhantang said, "Not yet; wait until I take off my robe." After taking off his robe, he took the pitcher; at the moment he relieved himself where Wu had hanged himself, Wu in a short while also brought the toilet sticks. When he came out, [Zhantang] called out, "Take the pitcher." Just as Wu received it, [Zhantang] seized and felt his hand—it seemed soft at times and hard at times. He asked, "Are you Attendant Wu? Are you the one who had an awakening when you saw the firewood end fall in the guest hall back then? In investigating Chan and studying the Way, one only needs to know the destination of one's fundamental life and primal star. When you move Head Monk Duan's shoes in the canon hall, is that not what you awakened to back then? When you move pillows in the guest hall, is that not what you awakened to back then? When you carry pitchers and pass water to people here night after night, is that not what you awakened to back then? Why do you not know your destination, and do nothing but constantly harass the great assembly here? Tomorrow I will urge the assembly to recite the canon for you, gather money to prepare congee to commemorate you; you should seek a separate departure and must not remain stuck here." Having finished speaking, he gave a push; with a rustling sound, like a miniature stupa of rubble collapsing, [the ghost] vanished without a trace from then on. One of Zhantang's arms was cold as ice, and only recovered after more than half a month. This was because non-human spirits adhere to yin, and thus the cold qi invaded a person to such a degree.