虛堂和尚語錄 8.65

8.65

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Chan Master Duanji once traveled to Mount Tiantai with an extraordinary monk. After walking for several days, they encountered a swollen river and could not cross. They stood with their walking staffs for a long while. The extraordinary monk used his bamboo hat as a boat, stepped onto it, and floated across. Duanji said, 'Had I known you earlier, I would have broken your shins; that would have been delightful!' The extraordinary monk sighed and said, 'A person of the Way is fierce and sharp; I cannot match him.'" The Master said: "A person of the Way is fierce and sharp, hard to approach; / Tossing a hat into midstream tests an adept. / Remembering that lofty man of old—where did he go? / Late at night, accompanied by the moon, he crossed the level sands."