17The National Teacher's Three Calls國師三喚
國師三喚侍者。侍者三應。國師云。將謂吾辜負汝。元來卻是汝辜負吾。
The National Teacher called his attendant three times, and three times the attendant answered. The National Teacher said, "I thought I'd been failing you. All along it was you failing me."
Verse 頌曰
鐵枷無孔要人擔
累及兒孫不等閑
欲得撐門并拄戶
更須赤腳上刀山
An iron yoke with no hole, and you must carry it.
The weight falls on your children and theirs, no small thing.
Want to hold up the gate and brace the door?
Then climb the mountain of knives, and climb it barefoot.
Wumen's Comment 無門曰
國師三喚舌頭墮地。侍者三應。和光吐出。國師年老心孤。按牛頭喫草。侍者未肯承當。美食不中飽人餐。且道那裏是他辜負處。國清才子貴。家富小兒嬌。
Three calls, and the National Teacher's tongue falls to the floor. Three answers, and the attendant lets his light spill out to meet it. The old teacher's heart is lonely; he pushes the ox's head down into the grass. The attendant won't take it up. Fine food is wasted on a man already full. So tell me, where is the failing here? When the country is at peace, talent is prized; when the house is rich, the children turn spoiled.