虛堂和尚語錄 8.65

8.65

上堂，舉：「斷際禪師，嘗與異僧游天台，行數日，值江漲，不能濟，植杖久之，異僧以笠當舟，登之浮去，斷際曰：『我早知汝，定捶折汝脛，乃快也。』異僧歎曰：『道人猛利，非我所及。』」師云：「道人猛利難親近，漾笠中流驗作家，憶昔高人何處去，夜深和月過平沙。」

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Chan Master Duanji once traveled to Mount Tiantai with an extraordinary monk. After walking for several days, they encountered a swollen river and could not cross. They stood with their walking staffs for a long while. The extraordinary monk used his bamboo hat as a boat, stepped onto it, and floated across. Duanji said, 'Had I known you earlier, I would have broken your shins; that would have been delightful!' The extraordinary monk sighed and said, 'A person of the Way is fierce and sharp; I cannot match him.'" The Master said: "A person of the Way is fierce and sharp, hard to approach; / Tossing a hat into midstream tests an adept. / Remembering that lofty man of old—where did he go? / Late at night, accompanied by the moon, he crossed the level sands."