虛堂和尚語錄 1.90

1.90

An informal gathering on the winter solstice: "Śākyamuni has already passed into extinction, and Maitreya has not yet been born. In such a season, going east is fine, going west is fine. For no reason, wall-gazing at Shaolin and severing the arm in the snow-covered courtyard led a whole group of people to carry a heavy load of a hundred and twenty pounds, like ascending the Sheep's Forehead Ridge. When asked about its origin, it still does not go beyond the bitter cold of midwinter and cotton trousers fiery red. Bao'en has long been silent on this essential point, not eager to speak of it hastily."