禪林寶訓 2.37

2.37

Yuanwu said to Miaoxi, "In general, when taking action one should be careful from beginning to end. Therefore, one who is good at undertaking will surely be good at completing; one who is good at beginning will surely be good at ending. If one is careful at the end as at the beginning, there will be no failure in affairs. An ancient said, 'Alas! Before the robe is finished, it is turned into a skirt; ninety leagues is half of a hundred-league journey.' These are all laments over having a beginning but no end. Therefore it is said: 'None lacks a beginning, but few can complete the end.' Formerly, my venerable uncle Huitang said: 'Venerable Sheng of Huangbo was also an extraordinary patch-robed monk, but in his later years he erred. Looking at his beginning, how could he not be called worthy?'" (*Collection of Yunmen Hermitage*)