虛堂和尚語錄 8.37

8.37

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "Deshan carried his bowl and returned to the abbot's quarters; what was the meaning?" The master said: "Buying high and selling low." The monk said: "Yantou said, 'That old fellow has not yet understood the last word.' What about that?" The master said: "Striking the gavel for silence in a noisy market." The monk said: "Deshan asked Yantou, 'Do you not approve of this old monk?' Yantou secretly disclosed his meaning; what about that?" The master said: "Ghosts pound grain; the Buddha leaps over the wall." The monk said: "The next day Deshan ascended the hall, and it was indeed unlike ordinary times. Yantou clapped his hands and laughed loudly, saying, 'How wonderful that the old fellow understands the last word!' What about that?" The master said: "A sword wound is easily healed; harsh words are hard to dispel." The monk said: "What is the last word?" The master said: "Are you examining Yantou, or examining this old monk?" The monk said: "Paper is dear in Yiwu; having accepted the verdict, I withdraw." The master said: "Bizarre power and chaotic spirits."