公案 · kōan

30Dasui's Fire at the End of the World大隨劫火

Introduction 示眾

絕諸對待，坐斷兩頭。打破疑團，那消一句。長安不離寸步，太山只重三斤。且道：據甚麼令，敢恁麼道？

Cut off every pair of opposites. Sever both ends. Smash the ball of doubt. One word melts it all. The capital lies right under your feet; Mount Tai weighs three pounds. So tell me: by whose order do you dare talk like that?

僧問大隨：「劫火洞然，大千俱壞，未審這箇壞不壞？」隨云：「壞。」僧云：「恁麼則隨他去也？」隨云：「隨他去。」僧問龍濟：「劫火洞然，大千俱壞，未審這箇壞不壞？」濟云：「不壞。」僧云：「為甚不壞？」濟云：「為同大千。」

A monk asked Dasui, "When the great fire at the end of the world rages and the whole universe burns up, does this perish too, or not?"

Dasui said, "It perishes."

The monk said, "Then it just goes along with everything else?"

Dasui said, "It goes along with everything else."

A monk asked Longji, "When the great fire at the end of the world rages and the whole universe burns up, does this perish too, or not?"

Longji said, "It doesn't perish."

The monk said, "Why not?"

Longji said, "Because it's one with the whole universe."

Verse 頌

壞不壞， 隨他去也大千界。 句裏了無鉤鎖機， 脚頭多被葛藤礙。 會不會， 分明底事丁寧曬。 知心拈出勿商量， 輸我當行相買賣。
Perishes, doesn't perish: it goes right along with the burning worlds. Inside the words, no hook, no lock, no gear; step out and the vines snag your feet. You get it, you don't: the plain fact spelled out, laid bare in the sun. A knowing heart picks it up, no haggling. At this trade I come up short. Go on, close the deal.