萬松老人評唱天童覺和尚頌古從容庵錄 6.23

6.23

The Master said: Chan Master Huizhao of Linji Monastery in Zhenzhou, taboo name Yixuan, was a native of Nanhua in Caozhou, whose family name was Xing. At first he thoroughly studied the sūtras and treatises, but realizing they were not the shortcut to the essential, he went to Huangbo. He followed the assembly for three years without even asking a question, merely keeping his discipline and remaining silent. The head monk, marveling at his distinctiveness from the crowd, encouraged him to engage in study. In the Discerning of Errors in the Lamp of the Inexhaustible, it is privately remarked: 'When Linji stayed for three years, could it be that Huangbo did not allow people to ask about the matter? Since he did allow it, with Linji's capacity and understanding, could he not even frame a single question, but had to wait for the head monk to teach him before he could ask?' I once saw Yang Wuwei's eulogy for Linji: 'The treasury of the eye of the true Dharma was extinguished by a blind ass; Huangbo had the heart of a doting grandmother, Dayu was garrulous.' I have also seen Foguo's eulogy for Muzhou: 'Pungent and peppery, snarling and snapping. He pierced through Jinan's boy to make a great tree, and pushed Yunmen down a sheer cliff. His words were like dry firewood, his principle impossible to scale. This is what is called old patched rush-sandals.' The original record says that after his enlightenment, [Linji] directly said, 'After all, the Buddha Dharma is not so very much!' Dayu said, 'You bed-wetting ghost! Just now you were asking whether you were at fault or not, and now you say the Buddha Dharma is not so very much! How much is it? Speak, speak!' grabbing him. Linji struck Dayu three times in the ribs with his fist. Dayu pushed him away and said, 'Your master is Huangbo; it is none of my business.' Linji returned to Huangbo. Huangbo asked, 'Coming and going back and forth, when will there ever be an end to it?' Linji said, 'It is only out of deep grandmotherly compassion.' He then recounted the previous conversation. Huangbo said, 'That old fellow Dayu is so garrulous! Wait until I see him—I will give him a beating.' Linji said, 'Why speak of waiting to see him? Strike him right now!' and thereupon gave Huangbo a slap. Huangbo laughed heartily and said, 'This madman has come here to stroke the tiger's whiskers!' Linji then gave a shout. Huangbo said, 'Attendant, take this madman to the hall to join the assembly.' Guishan asked Yangshan, 'Did Linji attain the strength of Dayu, or the strength of Huangbo?' Yangshan said, 'Not only did he stroke the tiger's whiskers, he also knew how to sit on the tiger's head.' Later, Linji instructed the assembly, saying, 'At my former master's place, three times I asked about the great meaning of the Buddha Dharma, and three times I was beaten, just like being brushed with mugwort branches. Now I long for another beating; who will lend a hand?' At that time a monk came forward and said, 'I will lend a hand.' Linji picked up his staff and handed it to him. As the monk was about to take it, Linji struck him. Xuedou said, 'Where Linji lets go is rather perilous; where he gathers in is too swift.' Tiantong saw that this father and son were extraordinary and peerless—that what Huangbo exerted, Linji inherited—and selecting the most crucial point, brought it out in verse. The verse says: