虛堂和尚語錄 9.51

9.51

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Xuefeng was serving as the head cook at Dongshan, he was washing rice. Dongshan asked, 'Are you washing away the sand and leaving the rice, or are you washing away the rice and leaving the sand?' Xuefeng said, 'Sand and rice are cast away all at once.' Dongshan said, 'What will the great assembly eat?' Xuefeng overturned the basin. Dongshan said, 'Your affinity with the Dharma properly lies with Deshan.'" The master brought this up and said: "Jixian read the physiognomy of Huzi Lin, who shifted with transformations without distinction, whereupon Jixian pursued him with a drawn sword. Dongshan said, 'Xuefeng's affinity lies with Deshan.' I wonder what physiognomic method this was? Afterward, Xuefeng did indeed succeed Deshan. Isn't this going even further than that follower of Jixian?"