佛果圜悟禪師碧巖錄 1.53

1.53

大凡扶竪宗教。須是有本分宗師眼目。有本分宗師作用。睦州機鋒。如閃電相似。愛勘座主。尋常出一言半句。似箇荊棘叢相似。著脚手不得。他纔見僧來。便道見成公案。放爾三十棒。又見僧云。上座。僧回首。州云。檐板漢。又示眾云。未有箇入頭處。須得箇入頭處。既得箇入頭處。不得辜負老僧。睦州為人多如此。這僧也善雕琢。爭奈龍頭蛇尾。當時若不是睦州。也被他惑亂一場。只如他問近離什麼處。僧便喝。且道他意作麼生。這老漢也不忙。緩緩地向他道。老僧被汝一喝。似領他話在一邊。又似驗他相似。斜身看他如何。這僧又喝。似則似是則未是。被這老漢穿却鼻孔來也。遂問云。三喝四喝後作麼生。這僧果然無語。州便打云。這掠虛頭漢。驗人端的處。下口便知音。可惜許。這僧無語。惹得睦州道掠虛頭漢。若是諸人。被睦州道三喝四喝後作麼生。合作麼生祇對。免得他道掠虛頭漢。這裏若是識存亡。別休咎。脚踏實地漢。誰管三喝四喝後作麼生。只為這僧無語。被這老漢便據欵結案。聽取雪竇頌出。

In general, to uphold and establish the ancestral school, one must possess the eye of an adept lineage master and the functioning of an adept lineage master. Muzhou's dynamic sharpness was like lightning; he was fond of testing lecturer-masters. Normally, whenever he produced a word or half a phrase, it was like a clump of thorns: one could not place hand or foot upon it. As soon as he saw a monk coming, he would immediately say: "A ready-made gong'an—I let you off with thirty blows!" Seeing a monk, he would also say: "Senior monk!" When the monk turned his head, Muzhou would say: "Board-carrying fellow!" He also instructed the assembly, saying: "If you have not yet found an entry, you must obtain an entry; once you have obtained an entry, do not fail this old monk." Muzhou's guiding of people was often like this. This monk was also good at sculpting, yet unfortunately he had a dragon's head and a snake's tail. Had it not been for Muzhou at that time, he would also have confused people for a time. Just take his question: "Where have you recently departed from?" The monk immediately shouted; tell me, what was his intention? This old fellow was in no hurry; unhurriedly he said to him: "This old monk has been shouted at by you once"—seeming to acknowledge his speech on one side, and also seeming to test him, leaning sideways to see what he would do. This monk shouted again. Similar it may be, but right it is not; he had his nostrils pierced by this old fellow! Muzhou thereupon asked: "After three shouts and four shouts, what then?" Sure enough, this monk had no words. Muzhou then struck him, saying: "You fellow who plunders the void!" In testing people at the exact spot, as soon as one opens the mouth, one recognizes the tune. What a pity! This monk had no words, provoking Muzhou to say: "You fellow who plunders the void!" If it were you all, on being asked by Muzhou, "After three shouts and four shouts, what then?" how should you respond to avoid his saying, "You fellow who plunders the void!"? Here, if one is a fellow who recognizes life and death, discerns good and ill fortune, and plants his feet on solid ground, who cares about "after three shouts and four shouts, what then?" Only because this monk had no words was the case concluded based on his confession by this old fellow. Listen to Xuedou's eulogy coming forth: