景德傳燈錄 24.5

24.5

Chan Master Hongjin of Mount Qingxi in Xiangzhou (who once resided at Gukou in Dengzhou) was the first seat when he was at Dizang. One day, two monks made prostrations. Master Dizang said, "Both are mistaken." The two monks had nothing to say. They went down from the hall and sought further instruction from Mountain Master Xiu. Xiu said, "You are yourselves towering and imposing, yet you prostrate yourselves intending to ask another person. How is that not a mistake?" When the Master heard this, he did not agree. Xiu then asked, "I do not know what the sthavira would say." The Master said, "You are yourself deluded and ignorant; how can you act as a guide for others?" Indignant, Xiu went up to the Dharma hall to seek instruction from Dizang. Dizang pointed beneath the corridor and said, "The tenzo has gone into the storehouse." Xiu thereupon realised his fault. On another day, the Master asked Mountain Master Xiu, "Clearly knowing that birth is the nature of non-birth, why are you retained by birth?" Xiu said, "A bamboo shoot will ultimately become bamboo. Can it be used right now to make bamboo strips?" The Master said, "Later on you will awaken for yourself." Xiu said, "What Shaoxiu sees is only like this. What is the sthavira's intended meaning?" The Master said, "This is the supervisor's room; that is the tenzo's room." Xiu bowed in thanks. After the Master took up residence, a monk asked, "When the blind men touch the elephant, each describes a different aspect. If they suddenly meet someone with clear eyes, what then?" The Master said, "Just bring it forward to present to the various quarters." When the Master was walking in meditation, the monks followed him. He said to the assembly, "What words and phrases do the ancients have? Let us discuss them together." At that time, Sthavira Congyi came out from the assembly and was about to ask, when the Master said, "This blind ass!" Yi had a flowing breakthrough to awakening. (Yi later resided at Mount Tianping.)