大明高僧傳 6.17

6.17

系曰。覺華嚴既於講席有聲。南堂過而稍施提勉。便能罷講南遊。正所謂見鞭影而行者也。豈不駿哉。至為圓悟項門一錐。雖然魂飛要且命根未斷。尚依識見。呈偈遭圓悟一喝。直得氣索。五年而始大徹。噫古為人師者必俟學者寒灰焰發絕後復甦方肯點頭。未甞輕許而賊夫人子。今人纔見靈利後生。便使拈弄公案。作得一偈頓焉稱賞。不亦彼此皆瞎也。殺人之惡小害人之惡大。其誰乎善於講者又當以覺公為良範。

The appraisal says: After Jue of the *Huayan* had established a reputation on the lecture platform, Nantang merely passed by and gave him a bit of urging and encouragement, and he was able to stop lecturing and travel south. He was truly one who 'moves upon seeing the shadow of the whip.' How could he not be an exceptional steed? When he received an awl to the crown of his head from Yuanwu, although his soul took flight, his life-root was not yet severed. Still relying on conscious view, he presented a gāthā and met with Yuanwu's shout, which left his spirit completely deflated; it was only after five years that he had a great breakthrough. Ah! In ancient times, those who served as teachers to others would only nod their heads when a student's cold ashes sent forth flames, or when they revived after dying completely; they never lightly gave approval to ruin someone's offspring. Nowadays, people, as soon as they see a clever youth, make them manipulate gongans; when they compose a single gāthā, they immediately praise and extol it. Are they not blinding each other? The evil of killing a person is small; the evil of harming a person's [spiritual life] is great. Who could it be? Those who are good at lecturing should take Master Jue as a fine model.