景德傳燈錄 6.11

6.11

Chan Master Mingxi Daoxing of Lizhou: the master at times said, "I have a great illness that cannot be cured by the world." Later a monk asked the late Caoshan, "I have received the ancient's saying, 'I have a great illness that cannot be cured by the world.' I wonder, what is it called, this illness?" Cao said, "The illness that cannot be gathered together." [The monk] said, "Do all sentient beings also have this illness or not?" Cao said, "Everyone has it entirely." [The monk] said, "Everyone has it entirely; does the upādhyāya also have this illness or not?" Cao said, "I am just unable to find where it arises." [The monk] said, "Why do all sentient beings not fall ill?" Cao said, "If sentient beings were ill, then they would not be sentient beings." [The monk] said, "I wonder whether all Buddhas also have this illness or not?" Cao said, "They have it." [The monk] said, "Since they have it, why are they not ill?" Cao said, "Because they are awake." A monk asked, "How to practice cultivation?" The master said, "A fine reverend monk like you, do not work as a hired hand." The monk said, "In the end, how [should one be]?" The master said, "Setting up an arrangement is unendurable." Another monk asked, "What is the correct path of cultivation?" The master said, "There is after nirvāṇa." The monk said, "What is 'after nirvāṇa'?" The master said, "Not washing the face." The monk said, "The student does not understand." The master said, "There is no face to be washed."