萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 3.109

3.109

Case:
When Xuefeng was living in a hermitage, two monks came to pay respects. (Pursuing fragrance and chasing scent.)
Xuefeng saw them coming, braced the hermitage door with his hand, released his body, came out, and said, "What is it?" (This is still the posture of revealing the body; what about the posture of hiding the body?)
The monk also said, "What is it?" (Sure enough, he does not recognize it.)
Xuefeng lowered his head and returned to the hermitage. (Better not say he had no words.)
Later, the monk arrived at Yantou's place. (Passing news and sending breath.)
Yantou asked, "Where do you come from?" (Not boring, not chiseling.)
The monk said, "Lingnan." (Here is Lingbei.)
Yantou said, "Did you ever visit Xuefeng?" (Hard to forget familiar places.)
The monk said, "I visited him." (No further room to hide it.)
Yantou said, "What words were there?" (Won't rest until sourness is reached.)
The monk raised the previous dialogue. (A single character enters the magistrate's gate, eight oxen cannot drag it out.)
Yantou said, "What did he say?" (Just right to lower his head and leave.)
The monk said, "He had no words; he lowered his head and returned to the hermitage." (In that case, you have never visited Xuefeng.)
Yantou said, "Alas! At that time, why didn't I speak the final word to him? (Has it been spoken now, or not?)
If I had spoken it to him, no one under heaven could do anything against Old Xue." (Why not say, 'I am Old Xue'?)
At the end of the summer retreat, the monk again raised the previous dialogue to seek instruction. (Good wine awakens a person late.)
Yantou said, "Why didn't you ask sooner?" (Coveting drowsiness.)
The monk said, "I did not dare take it lightly." (Deserves to be ridiculed in the monasteries.)
Yantou said, "Although Xuefeng was born on the same branch with me, he will not die on the same branch with me. (One who seeks to separate is the first to be impoverished.)
If you want to know the final word, just this is it." (Quickly steamed and sold while hot.)