萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 3.92

3.92

The Master raised [the case]: One day Zhaozhou went up to the hall and said, "This matter is truly one where a great man of immeasurable stature cannot step outside here. When this old monk arrived at Guishan, a monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the Ancestral Teacher's coming from the West?' Guishan said, 'Bring me a meditation bench.' If one is a lineage master, one must receive people with the fundamental affair before it will do." A monk then asked, "What is the meaning of the Ancestral Teacher's coming from the West?" Zhou said, "The cypress tree in front of the courtyard." The monk said, "Venerable Sir, do not use the environment to show people." The Master said, "I am not using the environment to show people." The monk said, "If so, then what is the meaning of the Ancestral Teacher's coming from the West?" The Master said, "The cypress tree in front of the courtyard." / Chan Master Huijue of Guangxiao Temple east of Yangzhou city went to Fayan's place. Fayan asked, "Where have you come from recently?" Jue said, "Zhaozhou." Fayan said, "I have heard that Zhaozhou has the talk of the cypress tree; is this so?" Jue said, "No." Fayan said, "Everyone coming and going says that a monk asked, 'What is the meaning of the Ancestral Teacher's coming from the West?' and Zhou said, 'The cypress tree in front of the courtyard.' How can you, Elder, say no?" Jue said, "My late master truly had no such words. Venerable Sir, it would be best not to slander my late master." In all quarters he was called Jue the Iron Beak. / Venerable Shengmo would always require people to first pass this phrase to scour out their knowledge and views. He used to say, "The Three Mysteries and Five Ranks are entirely within it." / When Chan Master Zhenru Fang awakened to this phrase, he walked straight into the Abbot's quarters to see Chan Master Langya Guangzhao Jue. Zhao asked, "How do you understand it?" Ru said, "Last night the bed mat was warm; in one sleep I reached daybreak." Guangzhao approved him. Zhenru's awakening to this phrase was best; Tiantong's versifying this phrase is also not bad. The verse says: