虛堂和尚語錄 3.131

3.131

謝首座上堂：「佛祖慧命，危若懸絲，不求開士垂範後昆，何以挽回叢林元氣。南巖老子鏡空禪師，鏡本無私，因形而顯，空本無跡，因象而彰。要知眾德所歸，慰此群情鶴望，龍驤雲起，虎嘯風生。」

Ascending the hall to thank the head monk: "The wisdom-life of the Buddhas and patriarchs hangs by a thread as fine as a suspended gossamer. Without seeking an open-minded noble one to leave a model for later generations, how could the vital energy of the monasteries be restored? The Old Man of Nan'yan, Chan Master Jingkong—a mirror is fundamentally impartial, manifesting in response to forms; space is fundamentally traceless, revealed in response to images. You should know where all virtues converge, comforting this crowd's eager anticipation, craning their necks like storks: a dragon rears and clouds arise; a tiger roars and winds are born."