11Layman Pang and Zechuan

居士相看則川和尚次。川曰：「還記得見石頭時道理否？」士曰：「猶得阿師重舉在。」川曰：「情知久參事慢。」士曰：「阿師老耄不啻龐公。」川曰：「二彼同時，又爭幾許？」士曰：「龐公鮮徤，且勝阿師。」川曰：「不是勝我，祇欠汝箇幞頭。」士拈下幞頭曰：「恰與師相似。」川大笑而已。一日，則川摘茶次，士曰：「法界不容身，師還見我否？」川曰：「不是老僧，洎答公話。」士曰：「有問有答，盖是尋常。」川乃摘茶不聽。士曰：「莫怪適來容易借問。」川亦不顧。士喝曰：「這無禮儀老漢，待我一一舉向明眼人。」川乃拋却茶籃，便歸方丈。川一日在方丈內坐，士見曰：「只知端坐方丈，不覺僧到參時。」川垂下一足，士便出，三兩步却回，川却收足。士曰：「可謂自由自在。」川曰：「爭奈主人何？」士曰：「阿師只知有主，不知有客。」川喚侍者點茶，士乃作舞而出。

The Layman went to see Zechuan. Zechuan said, "Do you still remember the point you grasped when you met Shitou?"

The Layman said, "You're still dragging that up?"

Zechuan said, "I'd have thought a longtime student would let such things go."

The Layman said, "And you're the older man, Master."

Zechuan said, "We were born around the same time. How much is in it?"

The Layman said, "Still hale, still spry. There I've got you beat."

Zechuan said, "You don't have me beat. You're just one headcloth short of me."

The Layman pulled off his own headcloth and said, "Now I'm the very image of you."

Zechuan only laughed.

Another day, while Zechuan was picking tea, the Layman said, "The whole dharma-realm can't hold this body of mine. Do you see me now?"

Zechuan said, "Were I not an old monk, I'd have answered that."

The Layman said, "A question, an answer. That's just the ordinary way of it."

Zechuan went on picking tea and paid no heed.

The Layman said, "Don't mind the idle question I tossed out just now."

Zechuan still wouldn't look up.

The Layman shouted, "You rude old man! Wait till I take every bit of this to someone with clear eyes."

Zechuan threw down his tea basket and went straight back to his quarters.

One day Zechuan sat in his quarters. The Layman came in and said, "All you know is sitting bolt upright in your room. You don't even notice a monk come to call."

Zechuan let one foot hang down. The Layman started to leave, took a few steps, then turned back. Zechuan drew his foot in.

The Layman said, "Free and easy, you might say."

Zechuan said, "But what of the host?"

The Layman said, "All you know is that there's a host. You don't know there's a guest."

Zechuan called his attendant to serve tea. The Layman broke into a dance and went out.