佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 6.42

6.42

時有僧問云。既不在明白裏。護惜箇什麼。州云。我亦不知。僧云。和尚既不知。為什麼道。不在明白裏。州云。問事即得。禮拜了退。後來這僧只拈他釁罅處去問他。問得也不妨奇特。爭奈只是心行。若是別人奈何他不得。爭奈趙州是作家。便道何不引盡這語。這僧也會轉身吐氣。便道某甲只念到這裏。一似安排相似。趙州隨聲拈起便答。不須計較。古人謂之相續也大難。他辨龍蛇別休咎。還他本分作家。趙州換却這僧眼睛。不犯鋒鋩。不著計較。自然恰好。爾喚作有句也不得。喚作無句也不得。喚作不有不無句也不得。離四句絕百非。何故。若論此事。如擊石火。似閃電光。急著眼看方見。若或擬議躊躇。不免喪身失命。雪竇頌云　躊躇（上音躊。下音除。猶豫不進也）。

At that time a monk asked: "Since you are not within clarity, what do you cherish?" Zhaozhou said: "I do not know either." The monk said: "Since you do not know, Venerable, why do you say that you are not within clarity?" Zhaozhou said: "It is enough to ask about the matter; make your prostrations and withdraw." Later, this [other] monk just seized upon his vulnerability and went to ask him. The question was also quite extraordinary; how could it be anything but mental manipulation? If it were anyone else, they could do nothing with him; how could it be helped that Zhaozhou was an adept, and immediately said: "Why do you not quote this phrase to the end?" This monk also knew how to turn around and catch his breath, immediately saying: "I only recite up to here"—just as if it had been prearranged. Zhaozhou followed his voice, picked it up, and answered him without needing any calculation. The ancients called it: "Continuous succession is also exceedingly difficult." He distinguishes dragons from snakes, separates good fortune from bad—give it back to an authentic adept. Zhaozhou swapped this monk's eyes without clashing against edges or points, without relying on calculation; naturally, it was just right. You cannot call it an affirmative phrase, nor can you call it a negative phrase, nor can you call it a phrase that is neither affirmative nor negative. It departs from the four propositions and cuts off the hundred negations. Why? If we discuss this matter, it is like sparks struck from flint, like a flash of lightning. You only see it when you urgently fix your eyes upon it; if you hesitate and deliberate, you cannot avoid losing your body and forfeiting your life. Xuedou's eulogy says: Deliberate—chouchu (the upper character pronounced chou, the lower pronounced chu: to hesitate and not advance).