Baiyun Duan 43: The Woman on the Road to Taishan

To a woman on the road to Taishan, a regular monk asked, "Which way do I go to get to Taishan?"

"Go straight ahead." The monk went off immediately in that direction, and the woman said, "What a good teacher's monk, going off in this way."

Later a monk raised what happened with Zhaozhou. Zhaozhou said, "Wait 'til I go investigate this." The next day, he immediately went off to ask her, "Which way do I go to get to Taishan?"

"Go straight ahead." Zhaozhou went off immediately in that direction, and the woman said, "What a good teacher's monk, going off in this way."

Zhou returned to the monastery courtyard, and addressing the monks, said, "I've investigated the woman of Taishan for you."

[0298b24] 臺山路。有一婆子。凡僧問臺山向什麼處去。曰驀直去。僧便去。曰好個師僧。又恁麼去。後有僧舉似趙州。州曰。待我勘過。明日便去問。臺山向甚麼處去。曰驀直去。州便去。曰好個師僧。又恁麼去。州歸院。謂僧曰。臺山婆子。為汝勘破了也。

A thousand lances stand, supporting peace,
Sheets of rain and long winds outstrip antiquity—
"For you I've investigated this old woman."
Few know the footprints of Zhaozhou.

[0298c05] 干戈中立太平基。塊雨條風勝古時。婆子為君勘破了。趙州脚跡少人知。

Submitted April 16, 2023 at 12:52AM by surupamaerl2 https://ift.tt/yZ4VzsO