續傳燈錄 18.47

18.47

明州雪竇法寧禪師。衢州杜氏子。上堂。百川異流以海為極。森羅萬象以空為極。四聖六凡以佛為極。明眼衲子以拄杖子為極。且道拄杖子以何為極。有人道得山僧兩手分付。儻或未然。不如閑倚禪床畔。留與兒孫指路頭。

Chan Master Faning of Xuedou in Mingzhou was a native of Quzhou, surnamed Du. Ascending the hall, [he said:] "The hundred rivers have different courses, taking the ocean as their ultimate. The myriad phenomena take emptiness as their ultimate. The four sages and six ordinarinesses take the Buddha as their ultimate. The clear-eyed patch-robed monk takes the staff as his ultimate. And tell me, what does the staff take as its ultimate? If someone can speak it, this mountain monk will entrust it with both hands. If not yet so, it is better to lean idly beside the meditation couch, leaving it for sons and grandsons to point out the road."