11Zhaozhou Examines the Hermits州勘庵主
趙州到一庵主處問。有麼有麼主豎起拳頭。州云。水淺。不是泊舡處。便行。又到一庵主處云。有麼有麼主亦豎起拳頭。州云。能縱能奪能殺能活。便作禮。
Zhaozhou came to a hermit's hut and asked, "Anybody home? Anybody home?" The hermit shot up a fist. Zhaozhou said, "Water's too shallow to dock a boat here," and walked off.
He came to another hermit's hut and asked, "Anybody home? Anybody home?" This hermit also shot up a fist. Zhaozhou said, "You can give and take, kill and bring to life," and bowed.
Verse 頌曰
眼流星
機掣電
殺人刀
活人劍。
Eyes like a shooting star,
mind like a lightning strike.
A blade that kills,
a sword that gives life.
Wumen's Comment 無門曰
一般豎起拳頭。為甚麼。肯一箇不肯一箇。且道。誵訛在甚處。若向者裏。下得一轉語。便見趙 州舌頭無骨。扶起放倒得大自在。雖然如是。爭奈趙州卻被二庵主勘破。若道二庵主有優劣。未具參學眼。若道無優劣。亦未具參學眼。
Both raised a fist, the same move exactly. So why bless the one and snub the other? Tell me, where's the catch? If you can set down one turning word right here, you'll see that Zhaozhou's tongue has no bone in it: he props a man up or knocks him flat, free as he pleases. And yet, for all that, the two hermits saw clean through him. Say one hermit was the better and you've no eye for practice yet. Say there was nothing to choose between them and you've no eye for practice yet either.