宏智禪師廣錄 3.37

3.37

舉僧問臨際。如何是吹毛劍。際云。禍事禍事。僧便禮拜。際便打。僧問巴陵。如何是吹毛劍。陵云。珊瑚枝枝撐著月。師云。殺人刀一毛不度活人劍一毫不傷。有意氣時添意氣。不風流處也風流。

[The Master] cited: A monk asked Linji: “What is the hair-splitting sword?” Linji said: “Disaster! Disaster!” The monk bowed. Linji then struck him. A monk asked Baling: “What is the hair-splitting sword?” Baling said: “Branch after branch of coral props up the moon.”
The Master said: “The life-taking sword does not spare a single hair; the life-giving sword does not harm a single hair. When there is high spirit, it adds spirit; where there is no elegance, it is also elegant.”