虛堂和尚語錄 9.82

9.82

上堂，舉：「石霜普會遷化，眾請首座住持，虔侍者云：『先師道：「休去歇去，一條白練去，一念萬年去。」明甚麼邊事？若會得則住持，若不會則不可。』座云：『明一色邊事。』虔云：『未會先師意在。』座云：『裝香來，香煙斷處，若去不得，則不會先師意。』香煙未斷，首座脫去，虔拊首座背云：『坐脫立亡者則不無，要會先師意猶未在。』」師拈云：「一人高高峯頂立，一人深深海底行，不是與人難共住，大都緇素要分明。作麼生是分明底事？」卓主丈。

Ascending the hall, [the Master] brought up [the case]: "When Shishuang Puhui passed away, the assembly requested the head monk to become abbot. Attendant Qian said: 'Our late master said: "Stop and rest; be like a strip of pure white silk; let one thought last ten thousand years." What realm of affairs does this clarify? If you can understand it, you may be abbot; if you cannot, you may not.' The head monk said: 'It clarifies the realm of absolute sameness.' Qian said: 'You have not yet understood our late master's meaning.' The head monk said: 'Bring incense; where the incense smoke ends, if I cannot pass away, then I do not understand our late master's meaning.' Before the incense smoke ended, the head monk passed away while sitting. Qian patted the head monk on the back and said: 'Sitting down and passing away, standing up and dying—you do not lack that; but as for understanding our late master's meaning, not yet.'" The Master took this up and said: "One person stands on the highest mountain peak, one person walks on the deepest ocean bed. It is not that they are difficult to dwell with; on the whole, black and white must be distinct. What is the matter of being distinct?" He struck with his staff.