虛堂和尚語錄 3.131

3.131

Ascending the hall to thank the head monk: "The wisdom-life of the Buddhas and patriarchs hangs by a thread as fine as a suspended gossamer. Without seeking an open-minded noble one to leave a model for later generations, how could the vital energy of the monasteries be restored? The Old Man of Nan'yan, Chan Master Jingkong—a mirror is fundamentally impartial, manifesting in response to forms; space is fundamentally traceless, revealed in response to images. You should know where all virtues converge, comforting this crowd's eager anticipation, craning their necks like storks: a dragon rears and clouds arise; a tiger roars and winds are born."