宏智禪師廣錄 3.74

3.74

舉僧問曹山。世間什麼物最貴。山云。死猫兒最貴。僧云。為什麼死猫兒最貴。山云。無人著價。師云。曹山物貨不入行市。子細看來。直是一錢不直。曹山遇賤則貴。我這裏遇貴則賤且道還有相違處麼。

[Hongzhi] cited: A monk asked Caoshan, "What is the most precious thing in the world?" Caoshan said, "A dead cat is the most precious." The monk said, "Why is a dead cat the most precious?" Caoshan said, "Because no one puts a price on it." The Master [Hongzhi] said, "Caoshan's merchandise does not enter the market. If you inspect it closely, it is truly not worth a single cash. When Caoshan encounters the cheap, it becomes precious; here with me, when encountering the precious, it becomes cheap. And tell me, is there any contradiction?"