宏智禪師廣錄 1.23

1.23

上堂舉則監院在法眼會中。一日眼問。爾在此多少時。則云三年。眼云。爾是後生。尋常何不問事。則云。某甲不敢瞞和尚。曾在青峰處。得箇安樂。眼云。爾因甚語得入。則云。曾問如何是學人自己。峰云。丙丁童子來求火。眼云好語。祇恐爾不會。則云。丙丁屬火。將火求火。將自己覓自己。眼云。情知。爾不會。佛法若如此。不到今日。則躁悶便起。至中路却云。他是五百人善知識。道我不是。必有長處。却迴懺謝便問。如何是學人自己。眼云。丙丁童子來求火。則於言下大悟。師云。前來恁麼道。却不會。後來恁麼道。却悟去。且道。關捩子在什麼處。覺上座有頌。丙丁童子來求火。南海波斯鼻孔大。狤獠舌頭會者難。直下而今照得破。照得破沒功過。知爾被底穿。曾與同床臥。廉纖脫盡舊時疑。柸影蛇絃留再坐。

Ascending the hall, he cited: "Superintendent Ze was in Fayan's assembly. One day Fayan asked, 'How long have you been here?' Ze said, 'Three years.' Fayan said, 'You are a junior; why do you usually not ask about the affair?' Ze said, 'I dare not deceive the Venerable; formerly, at Qingfeng's place, I attained a state of peace and joy.' Fayan said, 'Through what words did you gain entry?' Ze said, 'I once asked: What is the student's self? Qingfeng said: The youth Bingding comes seeking fire.' Fayan said, 'Fine words! I only fear you did not understand.' Ze said, 'Bingding belongs to fire; using fire to seek fire is like using oneself to search for oneself.' Fayan said, 'Clearly I know you did not understand. If the Buddha Dharma were like this, it would not have reached today.' Ze became agitated and vexed, and left. On the way, however, he said to himself: 'He is a good friend of five hundred people; since he said I was wrong, he must have superior insight.' So he returned, repented, and then asked, 'What is the student's self?' Fayan said, 'The youth Bingding comes seeking fire.' Upon these words, Ze had a great awakening." The Master said: "When it was said like that before, he did not understand; when it was said like that later, he went on to awaken. Tell me, where does the turning point lie? Senior Monk Jue has a verse: / 'The youth Bingding comes seeking fire; / The Persian from the southern seas has big nostrils. / The tongue of a southern barbarian is hard to understand; / Directly right now it is seen through. / Having seen through, there is neither merit nor fault; / Knowing that under your quilt it is worn through, / I once lay sharing the same bed with you. / Completely shedding the trivial old doubts, / The snake-string in the cup's reflection detains one to sit again.'"