禪林寶訓 3.13

3.13

Xuetang said: "Lingyuan liked to make analogies for patch-robed monks, saying: 'The ancients had a saying: "It is like carving clay or wooden puppets. In making a wooden puppet, the ears and nose should first be large, and the mouth and eyes should first be small. If someone criticizes them, the large ears and nose can be made smaller, and the small mouth and eyes can be made larger. In making a clay puppet, the ears and nose should first be small, and the mouth and eyes should first be large. If someone criticizes them, the small ears and nose can be made larger, and the large mouth and eyes can be made smaller."' Now, though these words are small, they can illustrate what is great. When students face affairs and choose what to take or reject, if they do not tire of thinking thrice, they can become people of loyalty and generosity."