萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 2.69

2.69

The Master said: The ancients, out of sheer necessity, forced names onto the fundamental affair. Pines are straight, brambles curved, swans white, crows black—this originally comes from the Śūraṅgama-sūtra. Tiantong adapted it into 'the crane is tall, the mallard short.' Zhuangzi said: 'What is long is not superfluous; what is short is not deficient. Therefore, though the duck's legs are short, lengthening them brings sorrow; though the crane's legs are long, cutting them brings grief.' A common proverb says: 'If you want no worry, abide by your fundamental lot.' Not only did the people of the August Xi's era completely forget order and chaos; Confucius also said: 'In the West there is a great sage; without governing, there is no disorder.' Order and chaos are [simply] gain and loss. The Third Patriarch said: 'Gain and loss, right and wrong—abandon them all at once.' In the Hexagram Qian of the Book of Changes: 'Initial Nine: Hidden dragon, do not act. Nine in the Fourth: Perhaps leaping in the abyss.' The Records of Qin Terrace states: 'Wang Cizhong, at the age of capped youth, changed Cangjie's ancient script into clerical script. Qin Shihuang summoned him, but he would not rise. The Emperor in fury placed him in a cage-cart to be brought to the capital as a prisoner. On the road, he transformed into a bird, escaped his bonds, flew to the West Mountain, and dropped two quills. Today in Guichuan County there is Dahe Rock, which is that place.' This praises the spirit of high antiquity: coming forth or withdrawing, acting or concealing oneself, each resting in their own lot. Before the Buddha appeared in the world, what need was there for sūtras, treatises, and gong'ans? But when the Patriarch came from the West, gain and loss immediately arose. Why not understand it before the curtain was pointed to? 'Turning into the sky following the wind; reaching the shore cutting through the flow'—these two lines point out the gain and loss of the two monks. Tiantong possessed great skill; it was not easy to speak like this. If one lacked the hand to bring someone to life, how could one kill? Therefore he also said: 'The quick-witted patched-robed monks in their midst, / Observe the method of Qingliang.' Tell me, on what authority did he achieve this? Wait until you have taken a blow of the staff, and I will tell you.