續傳燈錄 5.20

5.20

令滔首座久參泐潭。潭因問。祖師西來單傳心印。直指人心見性成佛。子作麼生會。師曰。某甲不會。潭曰。子未出家時作箇甚麼。師曰牧牛。潭曰。作麼生牧。師曰。早朝騎出去。晚後復騎歸。潭曰。子大好不會。師於言下大悟。遂成頌曰。放却牛繩便出家。剃除鬚髮著袈裟。有人問我西來意。拄杖橫挑囉哩囉。

Head Monk Lingtao had long studied under Letan. Letan accordingly asked, "The Patriarch came from the West with a solitary transmission of the mind seal, directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha. How do you understand this?" The Master said, "I do not understand." Letan said, "Before you left home, what did you do?" The Master said, "Herded oxen." Letan said, "How did you herd them?" The Master said, "Early in the morning I rode out; late in the evening I rode back." Letan said, "You don't understand—how very fine!" The Master had a great awakening at these words and composed a verse: "Letting go of the ox-rope, I left home; / Shaving off hair and beard, I put on the kāṣāya. / If someone asks me about the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West: / My staff slung across my shoulder—luoli luo!"