六祖大師法寶壇經 1.113

1.113

Chan Master Xingsi was born into the Liu family of Ancheng in Jizhou. Hearing that the Dharma assembly at Caoxi was flourishing in its transformative work, he came directly to pay homage and thereupon asked, "What must one apply oneself to so as not to fall into stages?"
The Master said, "What have you been practicing?"
He said, "I do not even practice the noble truths."
The Master said, "What stages do you fall into?"
He said, "Since I do not even practice the noble truths, what stages could there be?"
The Master recognized his great capacity and appointed Xingsi to head the assembly. One day, the Master said to him, "You must take your share in transforming a region; do not allow it to be cut off."
After Xingsi attained the Dharma, he returned to Mount Qingyuan in Jizhou, propagating the Dharma and continuing the transmission. (Posthumously titled Chan Master Hongji.)