密菴和尚語錄 1.52

1.52

上堂，舉：「文殊問無著：『南方佛法如何住持？』無著云：『末法比丘少奉戒律。』又問：『多少眾？』無著云：『或三百或五百。』無著問文殊：『此間佛法如何住持？』文殊云：『龍蛇混雜，凡聖同居。』又問：『多少眾？』文殊云：『前三三後三三。』」乃召大眾云：「或三百或五百，置之勿論。只如文殊道：『前三三後三三』如何話會？」良久云：「竹影掃階塵不動，月穿潭底水無痕。」

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Mañjuśrī asked Wuzhuo: 'How is the Buddhadharma maintained in the south?' Wuzhuo said: 'Bhikṣus in the degenerate age seldom uphold the precepts.' He further asked: 'How large is the assembly?' Wuzhuo said: 'Sometimes three hundred, sometimes five hundred.' Wuzhuo asked Mañjuśrī: 'How is the Buddhadharma maintained here?' Mañjuśrī said: 'Dragons and snakes are mixed together; ordinary and sacred dwell together.' He further asked: 'How large is the assembly?' Mañjuśrī said: 'The front three-three, the rear three-three.'" He then addressed the great assembly: "'Sometimes three hundred, sometimes five hundred'—set that aside without discussion. But as for Mañjuśrī's saying 'The front three-three, the rear three-three,' how do you understand it?" After a pause, he said: "The bamboo's shadow sweeps the stairs, yet the dust does not stir; the moon pierces the bottom of the pond, yet the water leaves no trace."