萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 3.7

3.7

In recent times, Venerable Changlu Liao was Tiantong's fellow student; he presided over a community of seventeen hundred, and together with Zhu'an Gui he served gruel, passed the summer retreat, and assigned rooms for entering the chamber. Xuefeng and Sansheng, across different generations, shared the same wind. Daguan Zhe said: 'Sansheng may be called someone who, at the myriad-fathom Dragon Gate, was long accustomed to being a guest; Xuefeng was very much like Mengchang with his gates open—how could he fear eminent guests?' When Sansheng posed this question, it was nothing less than bringing out a glue-pot into the thorn thicket. Xuefeng, already thirty paces away, saw him sticking and entangling himself, and said: 'Wait until you come out of the net, then I will tell you.' Extraordinary! It is just like a national master playing chess, seeing several moves ahead. Seeing that this exchange did not settle victory or defeat, Sansheng took another road and said: 'The good friend of fifteen hundred people, yet you do not even recognize the turning word!' Using the claws and fangs of the Dharma cave, he captured him alive. Xuefeng, unhurried, merely said: 'This old monk's administrative duties as abbot are manifold.' Baofu said, 'Striving is not enough; yielding has plenty to spare.' Xuedou said, 'What a pity he let him off; he deserved thirty blows.' Of these blows, not even a single blow could be bargained away. Truly it is rare to encounter masters of the craft. These two old men—one releasing, one snatching—each had a way to extricate themselves. Someone asked Venerable Ding of Gaoyou, 'What does the golden fish that has passed through the net take for food?' Ding said, 'A dried shit-stick.' My late teacher Xueyan heard this and said, 'Thank you for the offering.' This joy in Dharma and delight in Chan was not inferior to the ancients. On Tiantong's part, how was it? The verse says: