20Longya's Meaning of the Patriarch
Introduction 垂示
堆山積嶽，撞牆磕壁，佇思停機，一場苦屈。或有箇漢出來，掀翻大海，踢倒須彌，喝散白雲，打破虛空，直下向一機一境，坐斷天下人舌頭，無爾近傍處。且道從上來，是什麼人曾恁麼？試舉看。
Pile up mountains, stack up peaks, and you still only bang your head on the wall. Stop to think, hesitate, weigh it out, and you're already lost. But suppose someone comes along who tips the ocean over, kicks Mount Sumeru flat, scatters the clouds with a shout, and breaks open empty space. With a single move, a single ground, he cuts off the tongues of everyone on earth and leaves no opening to crowd in close. So tell me: down through the years, who was ever up to this? Let's look at one.
龍牙問翠微：「如何是祖師西來意？」微云：「與我過禪板來。」牙過禪板與翠微，微接得便打。牙云：「打即任打，要且無祖師西來意。」牙又問臨濟：「如何是祖師西來意？」濟云：「與我過蒲團來。」牙取蒲團過與臨濟，濟接得便打。牙云：「打即任打，要且無祖師西來意。」
Longya asked Cuiwei, "Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?"
Cuiwei said, "Hand me that meditation board."
Longya handed it over. Cuiwei took it and hit him.
Longya said, "Hit me if you like. Still, there's no meaning to Bodhidharma's coming from the West."
Later Longya asked Linji the same thing: "Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?"
Linji said, "Hand me that cushion."
Longya passed it over. Linji took it and hit him.
Longya said, "Hit me if you like. Still, there's no meaning to Bodhidharma's coming from the West."