禪林寶訓 2.15

2.15

靈源謂佛鑑曰。凡接東山師兄書。未嘗言世諦事。唯丁寧忘軀弘道。誘掖後來而已。近得書云。諸莊旱損我總不憂。只憂禪家無眼。今夏百餘人。室中舉箇狗子無佛性話。無一人會得。此可為憂。至哉斯言。與憂院門不辦。怕官人嫌責。慮聲位不揚。恐徒屬不盛者。實霄壤矣。每念此稱實之言。豈復得聞。吾姪為嫡嗣。能力振家風。當慰宗屬之望。是所切禱（蟾侍者日錄）。

Lingyuan said to Fojian: 'Whenever I receive a letter from senior brother Dongshan, he never speaks of worldly matters; he only urges me earnestly to forget oneself to propagate the Way and to guide the younger generation. Recently I received a letter saying: "I have no worry at all about the drought damage to the manors; I only worry that Chan practitioners have no eyes. This summer there were more than a hundred people, yet when I brought up the topic in the room of whether a dog has buddha-nature, not a single person understood it. This is what is worth worrying about." How profound are these words! Compared with those who worry that monastic matters will not be settled, who fear reproach from officials, who fret that their reputation and position will not spread, and who dread that their followers will not be numerous, the difference is truly between heaven and earth. Whenever I think of these truthful words, how could I ever hear them again? As his legitimate Dharma heir, you are capable of vigorously reviving the family style. You should comfort the hopes of our lineage; this is my earnest prayer.' (*Chan shizhe rilu*).