虛堂和尚語錄 8.80

8.80

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Yaoshan asked Shitou: 'I have a rough knowledge of the three vehicles and the twelve divisions of the teachings. I have often heard that in the south they point directly to the human mind, seeing one's nature to become a Buddha. Truly I have not understood this; I prostrate and pray that the upādhyāya, with compassion, will instruct me.' Shitou said: 'Thus will not do; not thus will not do; thus and not thus both altogether will not do. What about you?' Yaoshan fell into thought. Shitou said: 'Your causal conditions are not here. In Jiangxi is Master Ma; you should go there, and he should explain it for you.' Yaoshan arrived there and asked just as before. Mazu said: 'Sometimes I make him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes; sometimes I do not make him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes. Sometimes making him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes is it; sometimes making him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes is not it.' Yaoshan was awakened at this and bowed. Mazu said: 'What principle did you see?' Yaoshan said: 'When I was at Shitou's, it was like a mosquito on an iron ox.'" The Master said: "Tucking Mount Tai under one's arm and leaping over the northern sea is not considered difficult; using tasteless words to block people's mouths is difficult. Even so, through what did Yaoshan awaken?" He struck with his staff.