宏智禪師廣錄 2.197

2.197

舉九峯在石霜作侍者。霜遷化。後眾欲請堂中首座接續住持。峯不肯。乃云。待某甲問過。若會先師意。如先師侍奉。遂問。先師道。休去歇去。一念萬年去。寒灰枯木去。一條白練去。且道。明什麼邊事。座云。明一色邊事。峯云。恁麼則未會先師意在。座云。爾不肯我那裝香來。座乃焚香云。我若不會先師意。香煙起處脫去不得。言訖便坐脫。峯乃撫其背云。坐脫立亡則不無。先師意未夢見在。頌曰。

He cited: Jiufeng served as attendant to Shishuang. When Shishuang passed away, the assembly wished to invite the head monk in the hall to continue the abbacy. Jiufeng would not agree, saying, "Wait until I have questioned him. If he understands the late master's intent, I will attend on him as I did the late master." He then asked, "The late master said, 'Rest and cease! Take a single thought for ten thousand years! Be cold ashes and withered wood! Be a single strip of white silk!' Tell me, what aspect of the affair does this clarify?" The head monk said, "It clarifies the affair of the single-color aspect." Jiufeng said, "In that case, you do not yet understand the late master's intent." The head monk said, "You don't approve of me? Bring incense!" The head monk then burned incense and said, "If I do not understand the late master's intent, may I be unable to pass away where the incense smoke rises." Having spoken, he passed away sitting. Jiufeng patted his back and said, "Sitting passings and standing deaths are not absent, but as for the late master's intent, you haven't even dreamed of it yet." The Master appended a verse: