行路中墮雪窟

冬至青山老人。囑赴長安市物。返適大雪。上山至新茅蓬。石壁懸崖間。墮雪窟中。大號。近棚一全上人來救。衣內外濕。將夜恐雪封山連夜撥雪歸。詣青師。見公狼狽。嗤不濟。笑頷之。返度歲。

宣化偈曰：

為人服務墮雪窟。返被呵嗤不濟徒。
任勞任怨任道遠。證聖證果證祖師。

Falling into a snow cavity while walking

During the winter, the Master called on the Venerable Master Ch'ing Shan (Blue Mountain), who asked him to go to Ch'ang An for supplies. On the way back, the Master encountered a blizzard as he ascended the mountain. Nearing the new hut, he walked off an overhanging precipice and fell into a snow crevice. His loud hollering brought Dharma Master Yi Ch'uan (Oneness) from a nearby hut to his rescue. The Master's clothing was drenched and night was falling, but fearing that the snow would make the mountain inaccessible, he kept going on through the night. He finally reached Dharma Master Ch'ing Shan's hut, despite the snow. When Dharma Master Ch'ing Shan saw the Master's disheveled appearance. he laughed and told the latter he was useless. The Master smiled and returned to his hut to pass the New Year.

The gatha says:
When the Master was doing someone a favor, he fell into a snowy hollow.
Upon his return, he was laughed at and mocked as being a useless monk.
He tolerated toil and criticism - the road of his mission was long.
He was certified to the fruition of Sagehood, proving himself a Patriarch.