萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 1.133

1.133

The Master said: Demonic spirits become spirits through monstrous powers; spells and medicines become spirits through reliant powers; heavenly dragons become spirits through retributive powers; sages and worthies become spirits through supernatural powers; buddhas and patriarchs become spirits through powers of the Way. Nanquan and Zhaozhou were people who went beyond the buddhas and patriarchs, and what is more, they grew old! Therefore it is said, 'Growing old, becoming a spirit.' The ancient Buddha Zhaozhou was Nanquan's heir. Mazu said, 'The sūtras enter the canon, Chan returns to the sea; only Nanquan alone transcends external things.' Zhaozhou took Changsha as a friend and Nanquan as a teacher. Therefore in their investigations, it was not something that could be judged by gain and loss or victory and defeat. The world calls it the 'Barrier of Zhaozhou'—and indeed it is hard to pass. Nevertheless, Zhongni said, 'The numinous turtle could manifest in a dream to Lord Yuan, yet could not escape the net of Yu Qie; its wisdom could endure seventy-two drillings without missing an omen, yet could not avoid the distress of having its intestines gutted.' In this way, wisdom has its exhaustion, and the numinous has that which it cannot reach. *Zhuangzi* states: 'Lord Yuan of Song dreamed of a man with disheveled hair who said, "I come from the abyss of Zailu; I was acting as an envoy for the Clear River to the place of the River Earl. The fisherman Yu Qie caught me." Awakening, he divined it: it was a numinous turtle. The fisherman indeed had Yu Qie, who had netted a white turtle five feet in circumference. The lord wished to let it live, but divined about it; the divination said, "Kill the turtle to divine good fortune." Thereupon they gutted the turtle, drilling it seventy-two times without a single missed omen.' This was the event. Luopu said, 'If you want to know a person of the highest grade, they do not stick the verbal teachings of the buddhas and patriarchs on their foreheads, just as a turtle carrying divination diagrams brings about the omen of its own death. A phoenix tangled in a golden net—how can it hope to reach the empyrean?' King Mu of Zhou had eight steeds, among which were those that rode the clouds and ran surpassing flying birds; hence it is said, 'The fine steed chasing the wind.' This verse praises the woman being able to test the monk, yet not escaping Zhaozhou's checking out; and Zhaozhou, though able to check out the woman, could not escape Langya's scrutiny. Practicing Chan is called the 'gold-and-dung dharma': when not understood, it is like gold; when checked out, it is like dung. Therefore it is said, 'Speaking of it before others, it isn't worth a coin.' If you only leave behind emotional calculations of gain, loss, victory, and defeat, you will naturally look down on the old woman and look down on Zhaozhou. But if you come to Wansong's gate, you are not permitted to carry the board across your shoulders.