續傳燈錄 28.16

28.16

衢州天寧訥堂梵思禪師。蘇臺朱氏子。上堂。趯翻生死海踏倒涅槃岸。世上無活人。黃泉無死漢。遂拈拄杖曰。訥堂今日拄杖子有分付處。也還有承當得者麼。試出來擔荷看。有麼有麼。良久擲拄杖下座。上堂知有底也喫粥喫飯。不知有底也喫粥喫飯。如何直下驗得他有之與無是之與非邪之與正。若驗不出參學事大遠在。喝一喝。下座。上堂。山僧是楊岐四世孫。這老漢有箇三脚驢子弄蹄行公案。雖人人舉得秖是不知落處。山僧不惜眉毛為諸人下箇注脚。乃曰。八角磨盤空裏走。

Chan Master Fansi of Notang at Tianning in Quzhou was a native of the Zhu clan of Sutai. Ascending the hall, he said: 'Kicking over the sea of birth and death, trampling down the shore of nirvāṇa. In the world there are no living people; in the Yellow Springs there are no dead fellows.' Then he picked up his staff and said, 'Today Notang's staff has a place to be entrusted. Is there anyone who can take it up? Step forward and try shouldering it! Is there? Is there?' After a long pause, he threw down the staff and stepped down from the seat. Ascending the hall, he said: 'Those who know what exists also eat gruel and rice; those who do not know what exists also eat gruel and rice. How will you directly test his having or not having, his right or wrong, his heterodoxy or orthodoxy? If you cannot test it out, the matter of your inquiry and study is exceedingly far off.' He gave a shout and stepped down from the seat. Ascending the hall, he said: 'This mountain monk is a fourth-generation descendant of Yangqi. That old fellow had the gong'an of "a three-legged donkey gallops along." Although everyone can cite it, they simply do not know where it lands. This mountain monk, not begrudging his eyebrows, will add a footnote for you all.' Thereupon he said: 'An eight-cornered millstone runs in empty space.'