續傳燈錄 28.24

28.24

郡王趙令衿字表之號超然居士。任南康。政成事簡。多與禪衲遊。公堂間為摩詰丈室。適圓悟居甌阜。公欣然就其鑪錘。悟不少假。公固請。悟曰。此事要得相應。直須是死一回始得。公默契。嘗自疏之。其略曰。家貧遭劫。誰知盡底不存。空屋無人。幾度賊來亦打。悟見囑令加護。紹興庚申冬公與汪內翰藻李參政邴曾侍郎開。詣徑山謁大慧。慧聞至乃令擊鼓入室。公欣然袖香趨之。慧曰。趙州洗鉢盂話居士作麼生會。公曰。討甚麼椀。拂袖便出。慧起搊住曰。古人向這裏悟去。爾因甚麼却不悟。公擬對。慧擬之曰。討甚麼椀。公曰。還這老漢始得。

Commandery Prince Zhao Lingjin, styled Biaozhi and having the sobriquet Upāsaka Chaoran, held office in Nankang. The administration was settled and business simplified; he often associated with Chan patch-robed monks. During breaks in public duties, his chamber served as Vimalakīrti's ten-foot-square room. It happened that Yuanwu was residing at Oufu. The prince happily went to his forge. Yuanwu made no concessions. The prince pleaded earnestly. Yuanwu said, 'For this matter to accord, you must die once over before you attain it.' The prince had a silent accord. He once composed a commentary for himself, an excerpt of which read: 'A poor household suffered robbery; / Who knew that down to the very bottom, nothing was left? / An empty house with no one in it; / Though the thieves came several times, they too were beaten.' Yuanwu saw it and enjoined him to protect it further. In the winter of the gengshen year of the Shaoxing era, the prince, together with Hanlin Academician Wang Zao, Vice Director Li Bing, and Vice Minister Zeng Kai, went to Jingshan to pay respects to Dahui. Hearing of their arrival, Dahui ordered the drum struck for an interview in the abbot's room. The prince happily carried incense in his sleeve and hurried there. Dahui said, 'How does the upāsaka understand Zhaozhou's topic of washing the bowl?' The prince said, 'What bowl are you searching for?' and flicked his sleeves and walked out. Dahui rose, grabbed him, and said, 'The ancients awakened right here. Why did you not awaken?' The prince was about to respond, but Dahui mimicked him, saying, 'What bowl are you searching for?' The prince said, 'Only returning it to this old fellow will do.'