禪林寶訓 2.45

2.45

佛鑑曰。為道不憂則操心不遠。處身常逸則用志不大。古人歷艱難嘗險阻。然後享終身之安。蓋事難則志銳。刻苦則慮深。遂能轉禍為福轉物為道。多見學者。逐物而忘道背明而投暗。於是飾己之不能。而欺人以為智。強人之不逮。而侮人以為高。以此欺人。而不知有不可欺之先覺。以此掩人。而不知有不可掩之公論。故自智者人愚之。自高者人下之。惟賢者不然。謂事散而無窮。能涯而有盡。欲以有盡之智而周無窮之事。則識有所偏神有所困。故於大道必有所闕焉（與秀紫芝書）。

Fojian said: "If one does not worry for the sake of the Way, one's exercise of mind will not be far-reaching; if one always abides in ease, the application of one's will will not be grand. The ancients experienced hardships and tasted perils and hindrances, and only then enjoyed lifelong peace. When matters are difficult, the will is sharp; when one endures bitter toil, one's contemplation is deep. Thus one can turn calamity into fortune and transform things into the Way. I often see students pursuing things while forgetting the Way, turning their backs on light to throw themselves into darkness. Thereupon, they disguise their own incapacities and deceive others, taking it for wisdom; they compel others where they fall short and insult them, taking it for superiority. Deceiving others in this way, they do not realise there are awakened forebears who cannot be deceived; obscuring things from others in this way, they do not realise there is public opinion that cannot be obscured. Therefore, those who consider themselves wise are regarded as foolish by others; those who consider themselves lofty are brought low by others. Only the worthy are not like this. They hold that affairs are scattered and endless, while ability has boundaries and limits. If one wishes to compass endless affairs with limited wisdom, one's understanding will be biased and one's spirit exhausted. Therefore, in the Great Way there will surely be something deficient." (Yu Xiu Zizhi Shu)