虛堂和尚語錄 3.123

3.123

上堂，舉：「仰山在溈山牧牛，時踢天泰上座問云：『百億毛頭百億獅子現，作麼生？』仰不答。歸侍立溈山次，忽泰上座來，仰云：『適來問百億毛頭百億獅子，豈不是上座？』泰云：『是。』仰云：『正當現時，毛前現？毛後現？』泰云：『現時不說有前後。』仰山拂袖便出，溈山云：『師子腰折了也。』」師云：「仰山祇要溈山證明，自謂暗地裡得便宜；泰上座當時待他問毛前現毛後現，但仰天大笑一聲，仰山要拂袖出去也未得在。」

Ascending the hall, he cited: "When Yangshan was herding oxen at Guishan, Senior Monk Titian Tai asked, 'When a hundred billion lions appear at the tips of a hundred billion hairs, what then?' Yangshan did not answer. When he returned to attend Guishan, Senior Monk Tai suddenly came. Yangshan said, 'Earlier you asked about a hundred billion lions on a hundred billion hairs—was that not you, Senior Monk?' Tai said, 'It was.' Yangshan said, 'At the very moment of appearing, do they appear before the hair or after the hair?' Tai said, 'When appearing, one does not speak of before or after.' Yangshan flicked his sleeves and walked right out. Guishan said, 'The lion's back is broken!'" The Master said: "Yangshan only wanted Guishan to confirm it, thinking he had secretly gained the upper hand. If Senior Monk Tai at that time had waited for him to ask whether they appear before the hair or after the hair, and simply looked up to the sky and laughed out loud, Yangshan would not have been able to flick his sleeves and walk out either."