佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 6.7

6.7

In Zhaozhou there is a stone bridge, built by Li Ying, which is famous throughout the world to this day. A 'lüeyue' is a single-log bridge. That monk deliberately diminished its grandeur and asked him, 'For a long time I have heard of the stone bridge of Zhaozhou, but having arrived here, I only see a single-log bridge.' Zhaozhou immediately said, 'You only see the single-log bridge, and do not see the stone bridge.' Looking at where he asked, it was merely like ordinary speech; Zhaozhou used it to angle for him. The monk truly took the hook, and immediately followed up by asking, 'What is the stone bridge?' Zhou said, 'It ferries donkeys, it ferries horses.' Truly, within his words there is naturally a way of escape. Zhaozhou was not like Linji or Deshan, who wielded the staff and the shout; he killed and gave life purely through words and phrases. Looking carefully at this gong'an, it seems like an ordinary exchange of dynamic sharpness; even so, it is truly difficult to approach. One day Zhaozhou was looking at the stone bridge with the head monk. Zhou asked the head monk, 'Who built this?' The head monk said, 'Li Ying built it.' Zhou said, 'When it was being built, where did he begin?' The head monk had no reply. Zhou said, 'People constantly speak of the stone bridge, yet when asked where work began, they do not even know.' Another day, while Zhou was sweeping the ground, a monk asked, 'The Master is a kalyāṇamitra; why is there dust?' Zhou said, 'It comes from outside.' The monk asked again, 'In a pure saṅghārāma, why is there dust?' Zhou said, 'There is another speck.' Another monk asked, 'What is the Way?' Zhou said, 'What is outside the wall.' The monk said, 'I am not asking about this way; I am asking about the Great Way.' Zhou said, 'The Great Way leads to Chang'an.' Zhaozhou exclusively made use of this dynamic function. When he reached an even, stable ground, in helping people he did not blunt their points or wound their hands, yet was naturally solitary and precipitous. He used this dynamic function most wonderfully. Xuedou's verse eulogy says: