宗鏡錄 97.50

97.50

嵩山安和尚。昔讓和尚與坦然禪師。在荊州玉泉聽律。二人共相謂言。我聞禪宗。最上佛乘。何必局此小宗。而失大理。遂乃雲遊。博問先知。至嵩山宗和尚處。問。如何是祖師西來意旨。師云。何不問自。家意旨。問他別人意旨。作什麼。問。如何是坦然意旨。師云。汝須密作用。問。如何是密作用。伏請指示。師舉視之。二人當時大悟。

Ven. An of Mount Song: In the past, Ven. Rang and Chan Master Tanran were at Yuquan in Jingzhou listening to the vinaya. The two said to one another, 'We have heard that the Chan lineage is the supreme Buddha-vehicle. Why should we restrict ourselves to this minor vehicle and miss the great principle?' Thereupon they wandered like clouds, broadly inquiring of those with foreknowledge. Reaching the place of Ven. [An] of Songshan, they asked, 'What is the ancestral master's meaning in coming from the west?' The Master said, 'Why not ask about the meaning of your own house? What are you doing asking about the meaning of other people?' [One] asked, 'What is Tanran's meaning?' The Master said, 'You must use it in secret.' [He] asked, 'What is the secret functioning? We humbly request your instruction.' The Master raised [his hand] and looked at them. The two were both greatly awakened on the spot.