Send us a text

   Once Xuefeng and Yantou were traveling on Tortoise Mountain when they got snowed in at an inn. Yantou spent the entire time sleeping, while Xuefeng spent each day sitting in meditation.
   One day, Xuefeng called out, “Elder Brother! Elder Brother! Get up!”
   Yantou asked, “What is it?”
   Xuefeng said, “Don’t be lazy. As pilgrims, profound knowledge is our companion and should accompany us at all times. But all you do is sleep.”
   Yantou yelled back, “Just eat your fill and sleep! Sitting there in meditation all the time, you’re like a clay bodhisattva statue in someone’s hut. You’re just going to spook the villagers.”
   Xuefeng pointed to his chest and said, “I feel uneasy here, and I’m afraid of cheating myself.”
   Yantou said, “I’ve always said that someday you’ll build a cottage on a lonely mountaintop and convey a great teaching, and yet you talk like this!”
   “I’m truly anxious.”
   “If that’s really so, share your understanding with me, and where it’s true I’ll confirm it for you; where it’s not true we’ll root it out.”
   Xuefeng told Yantou of three incidents when he felt he had an opening through listening to what someone else said.
   Yantou responded, “Haven’t you heard that what comes in through the front gate isn’t the family treasure?”
   “Then what should I do?”
Yantou said, “If you want to convey a great teaching, it has to flow out from your own breast to cover heaven and earth.”
   When Xuefeng heard this he experienced a profound awakening. He bowed and said, “Elder Brother, today on Tortoise Mountain I’ve finally attained the Way!”

Support the show