佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 2.35

2.35

[Case 18] Case: Emperor Suzong (it was originally Daizong; this is an error) asked National Teacher Zhong, "After a hundred years, what will you need?" (Scratching in advance to wait for an itch. Sure enough, raising models and drawing patterns. Old as he is, to make this maneuver! He must not point to the east and make it west.) / The National Teacher said, "Build an unbroken stupa for this old monk." (Cannot hold it fast.) / The Emperor said, "Please provide the model of the stupa, Teacher." (Good to give him a prick.) / The National Teacher remained silent for a good while and said, "Do you understand?" (Detaining the prisoner enhances his cunning. He directly points east and marks west, takes south to be north, directly making his mouth like a carrying pole.) / The Emperor said, "I do not understand." (Fortunately he did not understand. If at that moment he had given him another squeeze, making his mouth full of frost, it would have been somewhat better.) / The National Teacher said, "I have a Dharma-heir disciple named Danyuan, who is well acquainted with this matter. Please issue an edict to ask him." (Fortunately he did not overturn the meditation seat. Why not give him his proper measure of fodder? Better not smear a barbarian. Letting him off a move.) / After the National Teacher passed away, (Pity! Sure enough, mistakenly fixing the mark on the scale-arm.) / the Emperor summoned Danyuan and asked what this meant. (The son comes to inherit the father's estate. Falling into the secondary and tertiary.) / Danyuan said: / "South of Xiang, north of Tan; (This too cannot be held fast. Twos and threes—what for? Half open, half closed.) / Xuedou's interlinear remark: A single hand does not clap for nothing. (One blind man leads a crowd of blind men. Sure enough, giving rise to understanding following words. Following crookedness and pursuing evil—what for?) / Therein is yellow gold filling a whole country. (Above is heaven, below is earth. There is no news of this. On whose side is this matter?) / Xuedou's interlinear remark: A staff in the shape of a mountain. (Snapped in two. This too is raising models and drawing patterns.) / Under the shadowless tree, the same boat; (The ancestral master is dead and gone! Ācārya, what are you saying?) / Xuedou's interlinear remark: The sea is calm, the river is clear. (Vast billows, surging white waves crashing to heaven; this would still be somewhat better.) / On the vaidūrya palace terrace, no kalyāṇamitra." (Bah!) / Xuedou's interlinear remark: Plucked up and presented. (Drawing the bow after the thief has passed. The words are still ringing in the ears.)