12Dongshan's Three Pounds of Flax
Introduction 垂示
殺人刀，活人劍，乃上古之風規，亦今時之樞要。若論殺也，不傷一毫；若論活也，喪身失命。所以道：向上一路，千聖不傳。學者勞形，如猿捉影。且道：既是不傳，為什麼却有許多葛藤公案？具眼者試說看。
The killing sword, the life-giving sword: the old masters' way, and the hinge of things still. As a killing blade it doesn't nick a single hair. As a life-giver it costs you skin and life. So they say: the road up and beyond, not one of the thousand sages ever handed down. Students wear themselves out chasing it, like a monkey grabbing at the moon in the water. Tell me, if it's never handed down, why are there so many tangled old cases? Anyone with eyes, give it a try.
僧問洞山：「如何是佛？」山云：「麻三斤。」
A monk asked Dongshan, "What is Buddha?"
Dongshan said, "Three pounds of flax."
Verse 頌
金烏急，
玉兔速，
善應何曾有輕觸。
展事投機見洞山，
跛鱉盲龜入空谷。
花簇簇，錦簇簇，
南地竹兮北地木。
因思長慶陸大夫，
解道合笑不合哭。
咦！
The golden crow streaks past,
the jade hare bolts.
A perfect answer never lands clumsy.
Take Dongshan for some clever turn of phrase
and you're a lame turtle, a blind tortoise hobbling into a dead valley.
Flowers in clusters,
brocade in clusters,
bamboo to the south, timber to the north.
Which brings to mind Changqing and old Mr. Lu:
the thing to do was laugh, not cry.
Ha!