宏智禪師廣錄 4.50

4.50

Ascending the hall, a monk asked: "Jiashan said, 'The ape cradles its young behind the green precipice; the bird clutches a flower and drops it before the azure cliff.' Fayan said, 'For thirty years I understood this as words of objective scenery.' If one does not understand it as words of objective scenery, what is it?"
The Master said: "The waning moon drops through the sparse woods; white clouds embrace the secluded rock."
[The monk] asked: "Going forward, no effort is retained; turning back, wondrousness is gained."
The Master said: "You fellow tied to the stake have gone off like that again!"
[The monk] asked: "What about when not going off like that?"
The Master said: "A stream of spring water flows between flowers."
[The monk] asked: "Just as Fushan said, 'The rhinoceros gazes at the moon and patterns form on its horn; the elephant is startled by thunder and flowers emerge on its tusks.' What about this?"
The Master said: "You are pressing juice out of a sesame cake again." The monk bowed.
The Master then said: "Willow threads hang golden and orioles chatter smoothly; the flower trellis spreads brocade and butterflies fly busily. Within seeing and hearing, news is conveyed; who has obtained the master's formula for touching iron into gold?" He then held up his staff, showed it to the assembly, and said, "Do you see?" He struck it once and said, "Do you hear? Remove the rush roots; the catties and ounces are weighed equally."