禪林寶訓 3.58

3.58

Ven. Wan'an Yan said: “When my late teacher Miaoxi first resided at Jingshan, during an evening gathering he continuously debated the various quarters and the ancestral tenets of Caodong. The next day, Head Seat Yin said to my late teacher, ‘Appearing in the world to benefit living beings is certainly no small matter. If you truly wish to bolster and revitalize the ancestral teachings, you must adapt to the times to remedy shortcomings; you must not merely seek momentary gratification. Formerly, when the Venerable was a patch-robed monk debating the various quarters, one still could not speak heedlessly; how much less now that you have ascended the precious flower throne and are called a kalyāṇamitra!’ My late teacher said, ‘That was just casual talk of a moment last night.’ The head seat said, ‘The learning of the sages and worthies is rooted in the natural disposition; how could it be rash?’ My late teacher bowed his head in apology, yet the head seat still reproached him unceasingly.” Wan'an said: “When my late teacher was banished to Hengyang, Attendant Xian recorded the words of the decree of demotion and posted them in front of the saṃgha hall. The patch-robed monks wept and sighed as if they had lost their parents, finding no rest where they stayed. Head Seat Yin went to the common quarters and addressed them, saying, ‘The disasters and misfortunes of human life cannot be avoided through opportunism. Had Miaoxi lived his life like a woman or maid, sinking down below the floorboards and keeping his mouth shut in silence, today's affair naturally would not have occurred. Moreover, what the ancient sages ought to undertake is not limited to this. Why torment yourselves in grief? In the past, Ciming, Langye, Guquan, and Dayu banded together to visit Fenyang. It happened to coincide with military campaigns in the northwest, so they changed their robes and mingled in the fire-brigade units to make the journey. Today, Jingshan and Hengyang are not far apart; the roads have no perilous passes, and the mountains and rivers have no rugged obstacles. What difficulty is there in wanting to see Miaoxi?’ Thereupon the assembly became serene, and the next day they departed one after another (Lushan Zhilin ji).”