續傳燈錄 18.9

18.9

潭州大溈齊恂禪師。僧問。玉兔不懷胎犢牛為什麼却生兒。師曰。著槽厰去。僧云。牧牛坡下。師曰。莫教落草。僧云。步步踏著。師曰。草裏漢。乃曰。頭角未生時薦得。早犯山僧苗稼了也。更待擎頭戴角異類中來生兒養犢。其何以堪。不見仰山云。一回入草去一回把鼻牽。然雖如是不免犯人苗稼。且道如何得不犯。良久曰。鐵牛不喫欄邊草。直上須彌頂上眠。又曰。青山疊疊水茫茫。猿愛巖前果熟香。更有一般堪羨處。誰知別有好思量。

Chan Master Qixun of Dawei in Tanzhou. A monk asked, "The jade rabbit does not conceive; why then does the heifer give birth to a calf?" The master said, "Go to the feeding trough." The monk said, "At the foot of the ox-herding slope." The master said, "Do not let it fall into the weeds." The monk said, "Every step treads upon it." The master said, "Fellow in the weeds!" He then said, "If recognized before the horns have grown, it has already trespassed upon this mountain monk's crops. Must one wait until it carries a head and wears horns, coming among different kinds to give birth to calves and nurture young? How could one bear that? Have you not seen that Yangshan said, 'Every time it enters the grass, every time I pull it by the nose'? Even though it is so, it cannot avoid trespassing on others' crops. Tell me, how can one avoid trespassing?" After a long while, he said, "The iron ox does not eat the grass beside the railing; it goes straight up to the peak of Sumeru to sleep." He also said, "Green mountains tier upon tier, waters vast and boundless; / The apes love the fragrant ripe fruits before the crag. / There is yet another aspect worthy of envy: / Who knows that there is an uncommon consideration?"