大慧普覺禪師宗門武庫 1.93

1.93

One day, Duke Wang of Jing asked Duke Zhang Wending, “A hundred years after Confucius passed away, Mencius was born; why has there been no one at all after the Second Sage?” Duke Wending said, “How could there be no one? There have also been those who surpassed Confucius and Mencius.” The Duke said, “Who?” Wending said, “Great Master Ma of Jiangxi, Chan Master Tanran, Chan Master Wuye of Fenyang, Xuefeng, Yantou, Danxia, and Yunmen.” When Duke Jing heard these named, he did not quite understand the meaning, so he asked, “What do you mean?” Wending said, “The Confucian school became weak and insubstantial and could not hold them; they all returned to the Buddhist school.” The Duke was delighted and sighed in admiration. Later he recounted this to Zhang Wujin, and Wujin patted the desk and praised it, saying, “The argument of a man of thorough understanding!”