虛堂和尚語錄 8.108

8.108

中夏上堂，舉：「馬祖因龐居士問：『不昧本來人，請師高著眼。』馬祖直下覷，居士云：『一種沒絃琴，唯師彈得妙。』馬祖直上覷，士禮拜，祖歸方丈，士隨後云：『弄巧成拙。』」拈云：「是誰弄巧成拙？若是馬師弄巧成拙，上半夏已過；若是居士弄巧成拙，猶有四十五日在。定當得出，免爾聽參。」

Ascending the hall in midsummer, he cited: "Mazu, because Layman Pang asked, 'Not obscuring the original person, please, master, look high,' Mazu looked straight down. The layman said, 'A stringless lute of a single kind—only the master can play it wondrously.' Mazu looked straight up. The layman bowed, and Mazu returned to the abbot's quarters. The layman followed behind him and said, 'Trying to be clever only makes a blunder.'" He brought this up and said, "Who tried to be clever and made a blunder? If Master Ma tried to be clever and made a blunder, the first half of the summer has already passed; if the layman tried to be clever and made a blunder, there are still forty-five days remaining. Settle it decisively, and you will be spared attending instruction."