虛堂和尚語錄 3.46

3.46

The upādhyāya of Shifan arrived. Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yunmen went on itinerant pilgrimage to Jiujiang. When Minister Chen Cao invited him to a meal, he asked: 'I will not ask about the Confucian texts, and as for the Three Vehicles and twelvefold teachings there are lecturers themselves. What is the business of a patch-robed monk's itinerant pilgrimage?' Yunmen said: 'How many people have you asked before?' The minister said: 'Right now I am asking the Venerable.' Yunmen said: 'Set aside right now; what is the intention of the teachings?' The minister said: 'Yellow scrolls and red rollers.' Yunmen said: 'These are written words and language. What is the intention of the teachings?' The minister said: 'The mouth wishes to speak but words fail; the mind wishes to grasp but deliberation is forgotten.' Yunmen said: '"The mouth wishes to speak but words fail" addresses having words; "the mind wishes to grasp but deliberation is forgotten" addresses false thoughts. What is the intention of the teachings?' The minister had no reply. Yunmen said: 'I hear that you have read the Lotus Sūtra; is that so?' The minister said: 'I dare not [deny it].' Yunmen said: 'The sūtra says that livelihoods and industry do not contradict the true mark. Tell me, how many people in the Heaven of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception have abdicated their seats today?' The minister again had no reply. Yunmen said: 'Minister, do not be so hasty. We monks cast aside the ten scriptures and five treatises to enter the monasteries especially; after ten or twenty years we still cannot manage—how could you, Minister, understand?' The minister said: 'My fault,' and then bowed." The Master said: "Minister Chen Cao's first few words did not examine Yunmen to the end, but the latter few words examined Yunmen completely. Today, if someone suddenly asks Yuwang what the business of itinerant pilgrimage is, I would only say to him: 'Old Shifan and I have spent over ten years traveling to the ends of heaven and the corners of the earth, yet we still do not know ourselves. Meeting again today, another twenty years have passed, leaving us with sparse teeth and white temples. What business of itinerant pilgrimage are you talking about?' Waiting for him to hesitate, I would give him a shout. Why? / Seeking fire, one gets it along with smoke; / Carrying spring water, one returns bearing the moon."