65.尋文吉月下拜香 Bowing along in the moonlight, he searches for Wen Chi

尋文吉月下拜香

文吉走後。知客改容曰請進。送單炕上。斟茶食面。殷勤倍至。公念文吉。遂告辭。各旅店找尋文吉。不見蹤跡。時四月十八夜。皓月在天如晝。公欲追文吉。趁月光向前急拜。生火患□熱。

宣化偈曰： 前踞後恭磨性天。雖留久位亦緣慳。 一心追趕文吉伴。月下拜香緊策煎。

Bowing along in the moonlight, he searches for Wen Chi

After Wen Chi departed, the Guest Prefect’s manner changed. “Please come in.” he said, and showed the Master to a k’ang (heated brick high bed). He then prepared some tea and noodles. His attitude was completely different; he was polite and attentive. But the Master was thinking only about Wen Chi and immediately took formal leave of the monastery. Going to all the inns in town, he searched for the beggar, but there was no trace of him anywhere. It being the eighteenth of the fourth month, the moon was bright, so that evening was almost like daylight. The Master took advantage of the moonlight to continue bowing briskly along, in an attempt to overtake Wen Chi. This accelerated pace caused him to develop a fever.

The verse says: The one who was at first arrogant and then respectful polished his nature. Although invited to stay, he felt the affinities to be too sparse. The only thought that the Master had was to catch his companion Wen Chi. So bowing along on that moonlit night, he became quite agitated.