08/12/2021 Daily Enlightenment - 日日觉

One day, a Buddhist scholar came to visit Zhaozhou. However, when Zhaozhou came out to meet him, he ignored him and failed to pay respect.

Zhaozhou bluntly told him, “Young man, when an elder passes you, why don’t you stand up and greet him?”

The practitioner asked, “I heard that zen transcends all formalities in the world, and is not bounded by anything that has form. Is that true?”

Zhaozhou nodded.

The practitioner became proud and said, “In this case, there is no difference whether I sit down to greet or stand up to greet; why do you make something?”

SLAP!

Zhaozhou gave the practitioner a huge slap!

The practitioner held his face and replied in angst, “How can a monastic be so rude? How can you hit me?”

Zhaozhou replied, “When I hit you, it means I did not hit you; why do you make something?”

Zhaozhou smiled, “If you make something in the mind when being hit, and you feel the difference when being hit and not hit, this proves that when you refuse to stand up to greet, you are also making something in your mind, you are being rude on purpose. Do you not deserve to be hit?”

一日, 一位滿腹經文的學者拜訪趙州禪師。當趙州出來會見他時, 他不但不理不睬, 而且還故意擺出目中無人的神態。

趙州不客氣地教訓他: 「你年紀輕輕, 長者從身邊經過, 怎麼不站起來迎接?」

學者不答,反問:「我聽說, 禪是超越世間一切形式的,不為一切有相的東西所囿。是這樣嗎?」

趙州點點頭。

學者得意極了, 緊接著說:「那麼, 我坐著迎接就等於站起來迎接, 禪師你又何必心生分別呢?」

「啪!」

趙州狠狠打了學者一記耳光!

學者捂著臉跳起來, 怒氣衝天地說道:「你一個出家人怎麼如此無禮? 竟然動手打人!」

趙州回應:「我打你就等於沒打你,你又何必心生分別呢?」

趙州一笑, 又說,「如果你現在挨打時心生分別, 能感受到挨打與沒挨打不一樣;那麼證明你剛才坐著不起來時, 心裡也有區別, 是故意無禮。不該挨打嗎?」