宏智禪師廣錄 4.34

4.34

When Master Shanquan Zhi sent a letter [certifying him as] Dharma heir, the Master ascended the hall. A monk asked: "It is recorded: A monk asked Caoshan, 'What is it like when the sun has not yet risen?' Caoshan said, 'Caoshan has also come this way.' I wonder, what is the meaning of this?"
The Master said: "Where wisdom does not reach, names and words are difficult to apply."
[The monk] asked further: "Rolling up the fishing line, one gazes at the distant mountains in indistinct haze; pushing the bow of the boat, one nears the ancient shore in lingering closeness."
The Master said: "What is it like upon reaching the shore?"
[The monk] asked: "Sails filled with the pure wind, oars piercing the bright moon."
The Master said: "Once again, going along with the waves and chasing the billows."
[The monk] asked: "What is it like after the sun has risen? Caoshan said, 'Still half a month's journey behind Caoshan.' What does this mean?"
[The Master] said: "As soon as clarity is distinguished, the news within the path of generation and transformation immediately achieves success."
[The monk] asked: "The descendants have gained strength, yet inside the room it is not known."
The Master said: "Just as for the person inside the room, how can one approach him intimately?"
[The monk] asked: "Clear emptiness shines of itself, without expending mental effort."
The Master said: "There are still clouds and waters separating [you]."
[The monk] asked: "How can one achieve total perfection?"
The Master said: "Only when you do not cling to treasured royal vestments will you attain it."
The Master then said: "Coming ten thousand miles from the West to sit at Shaolin, / The lamps have been passed on continuously down to the present. / Where mud oxen battle, together they return to the sea; / When the jade thread is linked, it subtly matches the needle. / Not letting the continuous lineage of our ancestors fall, / Never forgetting the ardent, motherly concern. / Playing a stringless tune before the wind, / Surely there will be someone in the monastic grove who appreciates the sound. / Just as the lamps are continuously transmitted, mind sealed with mind, and the bloodline remains unbroken—how does one practice? Do you fully understand? / The kingfisher treads upon the lotus leaf, shaking down the rain; / The egret bursts through the mist of the bamboo grove."