禪林寶訓 2.71

2.71

東山空和尚答余才茂借脚夫書云。向辱枉顧荷愛之厚。別後又承惠書益自感愧。某本巖穴間人與世漠然。才茂似知之。今雖作長老居方丈。只是前日空上座。常住有無一付主事。出入支籍。並不經眼。不畜衣鉢。不用常住。不赴外請。不求外援。任緣而住。初不作明日計。才茂既以道舊見稱。故當相忘於道。今書中就覓數脚夫。不知此脚出於常住耶。空上座耶。若出於空。空亦何有。若出常住。是私用常住。一涉私則為盜。豈有善知識而盜用常住乎。公既入帝鄉求好事。不宜於寺院營此等事。公閩人。所見所知皆閩之長老。一住著院則常住盡盜為己有。或用結好貴人。或用資給俗家。或用接陪己知。殊不念其為十方常住招提僧物也。今之戴角披毛。償所負者。多此等人。先佛明言可不懼哉。比年以來寺舍殘廢僧徒寥落。皆此等咎。願公勿置我於此等輩中。公果見信則他寺所許者。皆謝而莫取。則公之前程未可量也。逆耳之言不知以謂如何。時寒途中保愛（語錄）。

Master Kong of Dongshan replied in a letter to Yu Caimao, who requested porters: "Previously I was honored by your gracious visit, and I am deeply grateful for your generous kindness. After our parting, I received your kind letter, which made me feel even more touched and unworthy. I am originally a person of crags and caves, indifferent to worldly matters; you, Caimao, seem to know this. Although I am now an elder residing in the abbot's quarters, I am merely the same Senior Kong as before. Whether the permanent property of the saṃgha exists or not is entirely entrusted to the administrators. Income and expenditure records never pass before my eyes. I do not store extra robes and bowls, I do not make personal use of the permanent property of the saṃgha, I do not attend external invitations, and I do not seek external assistance. Abiding in accordance with conditions, I make no plans whatsoever for tomorrow. Since you, Caimao, refer to me as an old friend in the Way, we ought to forget each other in the Way. Now in your letter you seek several porters; I wonder whether these porters come from the permanent property of the saṃgha, or from Senior Kong? If they come from Kong, what does Kong possess? If they come from the permanent property of the saṃgha, this is using the permanent property of the saṃgha for private purposes. Once private interests are involved, it is theft. How could a kalyāṇamitra steal and misappropriate the permanent property of the saṃgha? Since you, sir, have entered the imperial capital to seek advancement, you ought not to engage in such dealings with monasteries. You, sir, are a man of Min; all that you have seen and known are the elders of Min. Once they reside in a monastery, they steal all of the permanent property of the saṃgha and make it their own: either using it to curry favor with the noble, or using it to supply their secular families, or using it to entertain their personal acquaintances. They do not consider at all that it is the cāturdiśa saṃgha property of the permanent property of the saṃgha of the ten directions. Those who today wear horns and bear fur to repay what they owe are mostly people of this kind. The former Buddha spoke of this clearly—how can one not be afraid? In recent years, monasteries have fallen into ruins and the assembly of monks has dwindled; all are the faults of such people. I hope you will not place me among their ranks. If you truly trust me, then politely decline and do not take what other temples have promised; then your future prospects, sir, will be immeasurable. These words grate on the ear, and I do not know what you will think of them. In this cold season, take care of yourself on the road."