禪林寶訓 4.54

4.54

Venerable Jiantang Ji resided at Guanshan in Poyang for barely twenty years; [living on] broth of goosefoot and meals of millet, he seemed to have completely abandoned any thought of honor and prominence. Once, going down the mountain, he heard the sound of weeping by the roadside. Jiantang, moved with compassion, went to inquire about it. In a family struck by a cold-damage plague, only two had died, but being poor they had no burial requisites. He specifically went to the market to obtain coffins on credit to bury them. The villagers were endlessly moved and sighed in admiration. Vice-minister Master Li (Chunnian) said to the scholar-officials: 'Old Ji of our district is a monk of the Way. Furthermore, his benevolence and kindness extend to living beings. How could he remain long at Guanshan?' It happened that Assistant Commissioner Wang (Mingyuan) was pacifying the various circuits and arrived at Jiujiang. The prefect Master Lin (Shuda) vacated the Dharma seat of Yuantong to welcome him. Hearing the summons, Jiantang then said: 'My Way shall now be put into practice!' He then cheerfully dragged his staff and came. Ascending the seat, he expounded the Dharma, saying: 'Yuantong does not open an herbal apothecary; / It sells exclusively the head of a dead cat. / I wonder which person without scheming thoughts / Will take a bite and have cold sweat stream over his whole body!' Monks and laymen were astounded, and through this the Dharma assembly was greatly invigorated. (Collection of Lan'an).