禪林寶訓 4.43

4.43

Venerable Huo'an Ti first studied under Ci'an Yuanbudai at Huguo in Tiantai. During a discourse in the hall, Ci'an cited Pang and Ma's verse on selecting buddhas, reaching the line, 'This is the arena for selecting buddhas.' Ci'an shouted at it; Huo'an experienced great awakening. He had a verse matching the occasion that said: / 'At the utmost point of deliberation, one sees the exam topic; / At the end of the road, one enters the testing arena. / Lifting up the brush tip, the wind and rain are swift; / This time, I will not be merely a third-ranking scholar.' / From then on he concealed his traces in Tiantai. Chancellor Lord Qian (Xiangxian) admired his character and urged him to respond to the world by offering him Tianfeng cāturdiśa. When Huo'an heard of this, he said, 'I do not know how to hang a sheep's head and sell dog meat,' and thereupon fled by night.