20Right in Front of You示眾
師示眾云：「大道只在目前，要且難覩。」僧乃問：「目前有何形段令學人覩？」師云：「任你江南江北。」學云：「和尚豈無方便為人？」師云：「適來問什麼？」問：「入法界來，還知有也無？」師云：「誰入法界？」學云：「與麼即入法界不知去也。」師云：「不是寒灰死木，花錦成現，百種有。」學云：「莫是入法界處用也無？」師云：「有什麼交涉？」問：「若是實際理地，什麼處得來？」師云：「更請闍黎宣一遍。」問：「萬境俱起，還有惑不得者也無？」師云：「有。」學云：「如何是惑不得者？」師云：「你還信有佛法否？」學云：「信有佛法。古人道了，如何是惑不得者？」師云：「為什麼不問老僧？」學云：「問了也。」師云：「惑也。」問：「未審古人與今人還有近也無？」師云：「相近即相近，不同一體。」學云：「為什麼不同？」師云：「法身不說法。」學云：「法身不說法，和尚為人也無？」師云：「我向惠裏答話。」學云：「爭道法身不說法？」師云：「我向惠裏救你阿爺，他終不出頭。」問：「學人道不相見時，還迴互也無？」師云：「測得迴互。」學云：「測他不得，迴互箇什麼？」師云：「不與麼是你自己。」學云：「和尚還受測也無？」師云：「人即轉近，道即轉遠也。」學云：「和尚為什麼自隱去？」師云：「我今現共你語話。」學云：「爭道不轉？」師云：「合與麼著。」
Zhaozhou addressed the assembly: "The great Way is right in front of you. It's only hard to see."
A monk asked, "What shape does this thing in front of me have, so I can see it?"
Zhaozhou said, "South of the river, north of the river — go where you like."
The monk said, "So you've nothing to offer people?"
Zhaozhou said, "What did you just ask me?"
A monk asked, "When you enter the realm of reality, do you know it's there?"
Zhaozhou said, "Who enters the realm of reality?"
The monk said, "Then to enter the realm of reality is not to know you've gone."
Zhaozhou said, "It isn't cold ash and dead wood. Flowers and brocade, blooming right now, a hundred kinds of things."
The monk said, "Is that where you put 'entering the realm of reality' to use?"
Zhaozhou said, "What's that got to do with it?"
A monk asked, "If there's such a thing as the ground of ultimate truth, where does it come from?"
Zhaozhou said, "Run that by me once more, reverend."
A monk asked, "When the ten thousand things rise up at once, is there anything they can't fool?"
Zhaozhou said, "There is."
The monk said, "What is it they can't fool?"
Zhaozhou said, "Do you believe there's such a thing as the Dharma?"
The monk said, "I believe there's the Dharma. The ancients already settled that. So what is it they can't fool?"
Zhaozhou said, "Why don't you ask me?"
The monk said, "I just did."
Zhaozhou said, "Fooled."
A monk asked, "Are the ancients and people today close to each other?"
Zhaozhou said, "Close, yes. But not one and the same."
The monk said, "Why aren't they the same?"
Zhaozhou said, "The Dharma-body doesn't preach the Dharma."
The monk said, "If the Dharma-body doesn't preach the Dharma, are you doing anything for people?"
Zhaozhou said, "I answer you out of kindness."
The monk said, "Then how can you say the Dharma-body doesn't preach the Dharma?"
Zhaozhou said, "Out of kindness I'd save your father, and still he won't show his face."
A monk asked, "When I say there's no seeing each other, is there still give-and-take between us?"
Zhaozhou said, "If you could fathom it, there'd be give-and-take."
The monk said, "I can't fathom it. So what's the give-and-take?"
Zhaozhou said, "What can't be fathomed is your own self."
The monk said, "Can you be fathomed?"
Zhaozhou said, "The closer the person comes, the farther the Way recedes."
The monk said, "Why do you hide yourself away?"
Zhaozhou said, "I'm right here, talking with you this very minute."
The monk said, "Then how can you say nothing moves?"
Zhaozhou said, "Just so. It should be exactly this."