六祖大師法寶壇經 1.124

1.124

At that time, the Patriarch was residing at Baolin in Caoxi, while Great Master Shenxiu was at Yuquan Temple in Jingnan. At that juncture, both schools flourished in their teaching, and people commonly called them 'Neng of the South and Xiu of the North.' Thus arose the division of the two schools, North and South, into sudden and gradual, yet students did not know their essential tenets. The Master said to the assembly: "The Dharma is fundamentally of one school, but people are of the north and south. The Dharma is of a single kind, but understanding is slow or swift. What is meant by 'sudden and gradual'? The Dharma is without sudden or gradual, but people are sharp or dull; therefore it is called sudden and gradual." However, the disciples of Xiu often mocked the Patriarch of the Southern School for not knowing a single character, asking what merit he possessed. Shenxiu said: "He has attained wisdom without a teacher and deeply awakened to the Supreme Vehicle. I am not his equal. Moreover, my teacher, the Fifth Patriarch, personally transmitted the robe and Dharma to him. How could that have been in vain? I only regret that I cannot go far away to draw close to him, vainly receiving the favor of the state. You people should not linger here; you may go to Caoxi to consult and resolve [your doubts]." One day, he instructed his disciple Zhicheng, saying: "You are clever and very wise; you can go to Caoxi on my behalf to listen to the Dharma. If you hear anything, memorize it with your whole heart and come back to speak it to me." Zhicheng received the order and went to Caoxi, joining the assembly to request instruction without stating where he came from. At that time, the Patriarch told the assembly: "There is a person who steals the Dharma hiding in this assembly right now." Zhicheng immediately came forward, paid homage, and fully disclosed the matter. The Master said: "You come from Yuquan; you must be a spy." He replied: "I am not." The Master said: "How can you not be?" He replied: "Before speaking, I was; having spoken, I am not." The Master said: "How does your teacher instruct the assembly?" He replied: "He constantly instructs the great assembly to dwell the mind and contemplate stillness, and to sit long without lying down." The Master said: "Dwelling the mind and contemplating stillness is an illness, not Chan; sitting long constrains the body—what benefit has it toward the principle? Listen to my verse: