虛堂和尚語錄 3.46

3.46

石帆和尚至，上堂，舉：「雲門行脚到九江，陳操尚書請齋次，問云：『儒書即不問，三乘十二分教自有講師，如何是衲僧行脚事？』門云：『曾問幾人來？』書云：『只今問上座。』門云：『只今且置，作麼生是教意？』書云：『黃卷赤軸。』門云：『此是文字語言，作麼生是教意？』書云：『口欲談而辭喪，心欲緣而慮忘。』門云：『口欲談而辭喪，為對有言；心欲緣而慮忘，為對妄想。作麼生是教意？』尚書無對，門云：『聞公曾看《法華經》是否？』書云：『不敢。』門云：『經中道，治生產業，皆與實相不相違背。且道，非非想天今日有幾人退位？』書又無對，門云：『尚書且莫草草，師僧家拋却十經五論，特入叢林，十年二十年尚不柰何，尚書爭得會？』書云：『某甲罪過。』便作禮。」師云：「陳操尚書，前面數語勘雲門未盡，後面數語勘盡雲門。今日忽有人，問育王如何是行脚事，只向他道：『我與石帆老子，十餘年，走遍天涯海角，尚自不知，今日再會，又是二十年，贏得牙疎鬢白，說甚麼行脚事。』待他擬議，便與一喝。何故？覓火和煙得，擔泉帶月歸。」

The upādhyāya of Shifan arrived. Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yunmen went on itinerant pilgrimage to Jiujiang. When Minister Chen Cao invited him to a meal, he asked: 'I will not ask about the Confucian texts, and as for the Three Vehicles and twelvefold teachings there are lecturers themselves. What is the business of a patch-robed monk's itinerant pilgrimage?' Yunmen said: 'How many people have you asked before?' The minister said: 'Right now I am asking the Venerable.' Yunmen said: 'Set aside right now; what is the intention of the teachings?' The minister said: 'Yellow scrolls and red rollers.' Yunmen said: 'These are written words and language. What is the intention of the teachings?' The minister said: 'The mouth wishes to speak but words fail; the mind wishes to grasp but deliberation is forgotten.' Yunmen said: '"The mouth wishes to speak but words fail" addresses having words; "the mind wishes to grasp but deliberation is forgotten" addresses false thoughts. What is the intention of the teachings?' The minister had no reply. Yunmen said: 'I hear that you have read the Lotus Sūtra; is that so?' The minister said: 'I dare not [deny it].' Yunmen said: 'The sūtra says that livelihoods and industry do not contradict the true mark. Tell me, how many people in the Heaven of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception have abdicated their seats today?' The minister again had no reply. Yunmen said: 'Minister, do not be so hasty. We monks cast aside the ten scriptures and five treatises to enter the monasteries especially; after ten or twenty years we still cannot manage—how could you, Minister, understand?' The minister said: 'My fault,' and then bowed." The Master said: "Minister Chen Cao's first few words did not examine Yunmen to the end, but the latter few words examined Yunmen completely. Today, if someone suddenly asks Yuwang what the business of itinerant pilgrimage is, I would only say to him: 'Old Shifan and I have spent over ten years traveling to the ends of heaven and the corners of the earth, yet we still do not know ourselves. Meeting again today, another twenty years have passed, leaving us with sparse teeth and white temples. What business of itinerant pilgrimage are you talking about?' Waiting for him to hesitate, I would give him a shout. Why? / Seeking fire, one gets it along with smoke; / Carrying spring water, one returns bearing the moon."