機鋒話頭是甚麼

問五台路。曰由孟縣至代州峨口。秘魔岩僧清一。善持戒。問幾遠。曰二千零。天晴取雪煮粥。指釜問。南海有這個麼。曰無。吃甚麼。曰水。釜雪溶水。丐指曰是甚麼。公無語默然不知所對。

宣化偈曰：
南海這個有也無。所吃何物水緣熟。
復問水是何物也。公難應對語默如。

Asking the piercing question, "What Is It?"

The Master then asked about the road to Wu T'ai Mountain. Wen Chi told him that from Meng Hsien, he would pass through Tai Chou and then O K'ou (Lofty Mouth), where there was a bhikshu in Pi Mo (Hidden Demons) Cavern named Ch'ing Yi (Primal Purity). He was one who well upheld the moral precepts. "How far is Wu T'ai Mountain from here?" asked the Master. "Two thousand li," said Wen Chi. At daybreak, Wen Chi took some snow to make gruel. Pointing to it in the pot, he asked, "Do you have this in Nan Hai?" "No," replied the Master. "Then what do you drink there?" "Water." By that time, the snow in the pot had melted into water. The beggar pointed to the pot again and said, "Well, then, what is this?" The Master was speechless and did not know what to answer.

The verse says:
"Do you have this in Nan Hai, friend, or is it not to be found there?"
"If not, then what is there to drink?" he pressed, as the water's cause ripened.  
"I wish to ask you once again, just what is this water?"
Although the Master should have answered, he couldn't say a word.