密菴和尚語錄 1.45

1.45

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yanguan addressed the assembly, saying: 'Empty space is the drum, Mount Sumeru is the mallet; what kind of person can beat it?' The assembly was silent. Nanquan said: 'Had I seen it then, I would have said to him: Old Teacher Wang does not beat this broken drum.' Later Fayan said: 'Why did Nanquan need to say "this broken drum"? Just by saying "does not beat," it is naturally a broken drum.'" The Master said: "Yanguan carried water to make a fire; Nanquan stirred up disorder and ashes flew; Fayan laid an ambush and challenged to battle. Although each of these senior masters lent a hand, not one of them had the fiery temper to deliver a single strike; they merely shouldered the drum following standard routine. Xiangfu will state it straight out for you all: 'Empty space is the drum, Mount Sumeru is the mallet.' You buckets of black lacquer, go participate in the hall!"