禪林寶訓 4.19

4.19

心聞曰。古云。千人之秀曰英。萬人之英曰傑。衲子有智行聞于叢林者。豈非近英傑之士耶。但能勤而參究去虛取實。各得其用。則院無大小眾無多寡。皆從其化矣。昔風穴之白丁。藥山之牛欄。常公之大梅。慈明之荊楚當此之時。悠悠之徒。若以位貌相求。必見而詒之。一旦據師席登華座。萬指圍繞發輝佛祖叔世之光明。叢林孰不望風而靡。矧前輩皆負瑰偉之材英傑之氣。尚能區區於未遇之際。含恥忍垢。混世同波而若是。況降茲者歟。烏乎古猶今也。此猶彼也。若必待藥山風穴而師之。千載一遇也。若必待大梅慈明而友之。百世一出也。蓋事有從微而至著。功有積小而成大。未見不學而有成。不修而先達者。若悟此理師可求友可擇。道可學德可修。則天下之事何施而不可。古云。知人誠難聖人所病。況其他乎（與竹菴書）。

Xinwen said: "The ancients said: 'The talent of a thousand men is called elite; the hero among ten thousand men is called preeminent.' When a patch-robed monk has wisdom and conduct renowned in the monastic groves, is he not close to an elite and preeminent gentleman? If one can only investigate diligently, discard the empty and take up the real, and each attain their function, then regardless of whether the monastery is large or small, or the assembly numerous or few, all will follow their transformation. In the past, there was Fengxue as a commoner, Yaoshan in the ox pen, Master Chang at Damei, and Ciming in Jingchu. At that time, if drifting people had sought them by status or appearance, they would certainly have mocked them upon seeing them. Yet once they occupied the master's seat, ascended the flower throne, surrounded by ten thousand fingers, radiating the brilliant light of the buddhas and patriarchs in this decadent age, who in the monastic groves would not be swept along by their breeze? Moreover, the predecessors all possessed magnificent talent and the spirit of preeminent heroes, yet they were still able, in their days of obscurity, to endure shame, bear disgrace, and mingle with the world and float along with its waves like this; how much more so for those inferior to them! Alas, the past is just like the present; this is just like that. If one must wait for a Yaoshan or a Fengxue to take as a teacher, that is an encounter of a thousand years. If one must wait for a Damei or a Ciming to take as a friend, that is one who emerges once in a hundred generations. For affairs proceed from the subtle to the prominent, and achievements accumulate from the small to become great. I have never seen anyone achieve without studying, or advance first without cultivating. If one realizes this principle, a teacher can be sought, a friend can be chosen, the Way can be studied, and virtue can be cultivated; then what affair under heaven cannot be undertaken? The ancients said: 'Knowing others is truly difficult, a problem even for the sages.' How much more so for the rest!" (Letter to Zhu'an)