景德傳燈錄 3.28

3.28

While walking, the Master suddenly saw this verse. Knowing it was composed by Shenxiu, he praised it, saying, "If future generations cultivate according to this, they will also attain an excellent fruit." Originally, the wall was to be painted by the retired scholar Lu Zhen with the transformation tableaux of the Laṅkāvatāra, but seeing the verse inscribed on the wall, he stopped the painting and had everyone recite it. In the millhouse, Huineng suddenly heard the recitation of the verse and asked a fellow student, "What lines are these?" The fellow student said, "Do you not know that the upādhyāya is seeking a Dharma successor and told everyone to compose a verse from the mind? This was composed by Sthavira Xiu. The upādhyāya deeply praised it, and he will surely transmit the Dharma and robe to him." Huineng said, "What does his verse say?" The fellow student recited it for him. After a long pause, Huineng said, "Splendid as it is, it is not completely understood." The fellow student scolded him: "What does a mediocre fellow know? Do not utter wild talk!" Huineng said, "Do you not believe me? I wish to compose a verse to match it." The fellow student did not answer, but looked at him and laughed. At night, Huineng secretly asked a boy to lead him to the corridor. Holding a candle himself, Huineng had the boy write a verse beside Shenxiu's verse: