虛堂和尚語錄 2.168

2.168

He again cited: "A monk asked Yunmen, 'What is the single tune of Yunmen?' Yunmen said, 'The twenty-fifth of the twelfth month.'" The Master said: "Yunmen's bloody sweat of great merit is high, but it is a pity he let five days slip by. If he had spoken just right at that time, saying 'The thirtieth night of the twelfth month,' this monk would surely have had something worth seeing. Now, what is past is past and cannot be blamed; one can only take care of oneself according to the season. If someone asks about the single tune of Yunhuang, I will only tell him: 'Halfway it halts the drifting clouds.'"