禪林寶訓 2.23

2.23

Lingyuan said, "A student's conduct cannot but be scrutinized; their words and deeds cannot but be examined. One who is sparing with words is not necessarily foolish; one who is glib is not necessarily wise. The rustic and simple are not necessarily rebellious; the obedient and compliant are not necessarily loyal. Therefore, a kalyāṇamitra does not exhaust people's true sentiments through words alone, nor select students by subjective impression. Among the patch-robed monks of the lakes and seas, who does not wish to seek the Way? Yet among them, those who awaken clearly and see the principle are not one in a thousand or a hundred. Meanwhile, to cultivate the self, exert oneself in conduct, gather learning, and establish virtue cannot be achieved in less than thirty years. If, through a single chance error, the monastic grove abandons them, they will be unable to establish themselves for the rest of their life. Indeed, a pearl that can illuminate a carriage cannot be without flaws; how can a jade disk worth multiple cities be free of defects? Among sentient beings, how could anyone be without fault? The Master [Confucius] was a sage, yet he still spoke of studying the *Changes* at fifty so as to be free of great faults. The scriptures say, 'Fear not the arising of thoughts; fear only being slow to become aware.' How much more so from the sages and worthies on down—who is without faults? When a kalyāṇamitra accommodates and completes them, then no variety of being is abandoned. Therefore it is said: 'A skillful carpenter adapts to the uses of wheels and rafters, so neither crooked nor straight wood is wasted; a good charioteer adapts to the conditions of perilous and easy terrain, so neither a nag nor a thoroughbred loses its nature.' If this is so for things, it should be likewise for people. If advancement and dismissal follow feelings of love and hate, and union and separation depend on preferences for sameness and difference, this is like casting aside the ink-line to cut the crooked and straight, or throwing away the balance-scale to judge heavy and light. Though one may claim it to be refined and subtle, it cannot be without error."