Master Budai was always in the thoroughfare. Sometimes, someone would ask, “Why are you here?” The Master would say, “I’m waiting for someone to come.” They would say, “I have come,” to which he’d reply, “You’re not that someone.”
Sometimes, he would untie his cloth bag, filled with all kinds of things mixed together, cast it down saying, “Look! Look!” He’d also hold up the items one by one, asking people, “This one, what’s it called?”
Sometimes he'd reach inside his bag for some fruit to give a monk. When the monk would consider accepting, he’d then withdraw his hand, saying, “You’re not this person.”
Sometimes he’d look for monks passing by, tap them once on the back. When the monk would turn he’d say, “Give me a coin for any children that’ll come.”
Sometimes he’d lean on his bag all day, sleeping like an idiot.
Sometimes he'd get up and perform in-between shops, and children would make an uproar and chase after him, and sometimes he gave the children his walking stick, sometimes beads, to amuse themselves and keep.
A monk asked him, “What was the school founder’s purpose in coming from the West?” His response was to lay down his cloth bag, interlace his fingers on his chest in a gesture of respect, and stand firm. The monk said, “Only this, but there is also something more.” At that, the Master picked up his cloth bag, tossed it onto his shoulder, and left.
[0295c08] 布袋和尚常在通衢。或問。在此何為。師曰。等個人來。曰來也。師曰。汝不是這個人。或解布袋。百物俱有。撒下曰。看看。又一一將起問人曰。這個喚作什麼。或袋內探果子與僧。僧擬接。師乃縮手曰。汝不是者個人。或見僧行過。乃拊背一下。僧回首。師曰。把一錢子來。有時倚袋終日憨睡。或起行市肆間。小兒譁逐之。或拄杖。或數珠。與兒戲。有僧問。如何是祖師西來意。遂放下布袋。叉手而立。僧曰。祇此。別更有在。師拈起布袋。肩負而去。
This singular cloth bag, entirely black—
Examining inside, what strange curiosities?!
Sleepiness comes, and there you have a pillow!
Take it along or leave it, there is no hindrance.
Sometimes a noisy market opens,
Where many buy and sell themselves.
[0295c17] 都盧一個布袋。裡面討甚奇怪。困來且得枕頭。攜去亦無妨礙。有時閙市打開。多是自家買賣。
Submitted February 22, 2023 at 09:28AM by surupamaerl2 https://ift.tt/l6YzNgK
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