景德傳燈錄 10.45

10.45

The Upādhyāya of Mount Zhuyu in Ezhou initially resided at Huguo Cloister in Suizhou as the first generation. Upādhyāya Jinlun Keguan asked: “What is the Way?”
The master said: “Do not drive a peg into empty space.”
Guan said: “Empty space is the peg.”
The master thereupon struck him. Guan grabbed him and said: “Do not hit me! Later on you will hit someone by mistake.” The master then stopped. (Yunju Xi remarked: “Did this person possess the eye or not? Why did he get struck?”)
Upādhyāya Congshen of Zhaozhou first arrived at Yunju. Yunju asked, saying: “You old, old fellow, why don’t you seek a place to stay?”
Shen said: “Where can I stay?”
Yunju said: “In front of the mountain there is an old temple site.”
Shen said: “Live there yourself, Upādhyāya.”
Later he arrived at the master’s place. The master said: “You old, old fellow, why don’t you go and stay somewhere?”
Shen said: “Where can I stay?”
The master said: “You old, old fellow, you don’t even know where to stay!”
Shen said: “For thirty years I have performed horsemanship, but today I have been thrown by a donkey.” (Yunju Xi remarked: “Where was it that Zhaozhou was thrown by a donkey?”)
The monks stood in attendance. The master said: “Just standing blankly like this with nothing to say is completely suffocating!”
A monk was about to come forward and question, but the master struck him, saying: “I exhaust my strength for the assembly,” and then entered his quarters.
A practitioner visited, and the master said: “Have you ever been to see Zhaozhou?”
He replied: “Does the Upādhyāya dare speak of him?”
The master said: “Not only Zhuyu, but all people cannot speak of him.”
He said: “Let me pass, Upādhyāya.”
The master said: “From of old, human sentiments do not pass through here.”
He said: “Yet after all, a compassionate mind is present.”
The master struck him and said: “Come back when you have sobered up, and I will act for you.”