虛堂和尚語錄 8.107

8.107

上堂，舉：「馬大師因僧問：『離四句、絕百非，請師直指西來意？』大師云：『我今日勞倦，不能為汝說得，問取智藏。』僧問藏，藏云：『我今日頭疼，不能為汝說得，問取海兄。』僧問海，海云：『我到者裏却不會，問取和尚。』僧問大師，大師云：『藏頭白，海頭黑。』」師拈云：「盡謂者僧被馬大師父子穿却鼻孔，殊不知，馬大師父子鼻孔被者僧穿却。會得，藏頭白、海頭黑，優劣已分；不然，易分霜裏粉，難辨雪中梅。」

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Because a monk asked Great Master Ma, 'Free from the four propositions and cutting off the hundred negations, please, master, point directly to the meaning of the Western Come-over,' the Great Master said, 'I am weary and fatigued today and cannot speak of it for you; go ask Zhizang.' The monk asked Zang. Zang said, 'I have a headache today and cannot speak of it for you; go ask Brother Hai.' The monk asked Hai. Hai said, 'When it comes to this point, I do not understand; go ask the upādhyāya.' The monk asked the Great Master. The Great Master said, 'Zang's head is white, Hai's head is black.'" The master brought this up and said, "Everyone says this monk had his nostrils pierced by Great Master Ma and his sons; little do they know that Great Master Ma and his sons had their nostrils pierced by this monk. If you understand, Zang's head being white and Hai's head being black already distinguishes the superior from the inferior; if not, it is easy to tell flour apart from frost, but difficult to distinguish plum blossoms in snow."