佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 7.41

7.41

At that time, Mazu was converting widely in Jiangxi, Shitou's practice of the Way was active in Huxiang, and National Teacher Zhong was teaching the Way in Chang'an. He had seen the Sixth Ancestor in person. At that time, of those in the south who lifted their heads and bore horns, none did not wish to ascend his hall and enter his room; if they did not, they were scorned by others. These three old fellows wanted to go pay respects to National Teacher Zhong, but halfway there they made this great ruin of things. Nanquan said: "In that case, we will not go." Since each and every one could speak, why did he instead say they would not go? Now tell me: what was the ancient's intention? At that moment, waiting for him to say "In that case, we will not go," one should have slapped him across the ears to see what kind of skill he had. Vibrating the lineage framework across ten thousand ages is just this little bit of dynamic pivot. Therefore Ciming said: "If you want to lead it, it is only at the rope's end; tap it, touch it, and it turns at once—just like pressing a gourd down on the water." Many people call these words of mutual non-approval, but they fail to realize that when this matter reaches the ultimate, one must leave mud and leave water, pulling out wedges and extracting nails. If you interpret this as a mental state, you have missed the connection entirely. The ancients turned and transformed well; arriving here, it could not but be like this. One must have both killing and giving life. Look at one of them going to sit inside the circle, and the other making a woman's curtsey—this was also very fine. Nanquan said: "In that case, we will not go." Guizong said: "What state of mind is this?" That fellow Meng the Eighth has gone off like this again! His speaking like this was mainly meant to test Nanquan. Nanquan usually said: "Calling it Suchness has already changed it." Nanquan, Guizong, and Magu were actually people of one household: one catching and one releasing, one killing and one giving life—it is quite extraordinary. Xuedou's verse says: