6Case 6
百靈和尚一日與居士路次相逢。靈問曰：「昔日居士南嶽得力句，還曾舉向人也無？」士曰：「曾舉來。」靈曰：「舉向什麼人？」士以手自指曰：「龐公。」靈曰：「直是妙德空生也讚嘆不及。」士却問：「阿師得力句是誰得知？」師戴笠子便行。士曰：「善為道路。」靈更不回首。靈一日問居士：「道得道不得俱未免，汝且道未免箇什麼？」士以目瞬之。靈曰：「奇特更無此也。」士曰：「師錯許人。」靈曰：「誰不恁麼？誰不恁麼？」士珍重而去。靈一日在方丈內坐，士入來，靈把住曰：「今人道，古人道，居士作麼生道？」士打靈一掌。靈曰：「不得不道。」士曰：「道即有過。」靈曰：「還我一掌來。」士近前曰：「試下手看。」靈便珍重。居士一日問百靈曰：「是這箇眼目免得人口麼？」靈曰：「作麼免得？」士曰：「情知！情知！」靈曰：「棒不打無事人。」士轉身曰：「打！打！」靈方拈棒起，士把住曰：「與我免看。」靈無對。
One day the monk Bailing ran into Layman Pang on the road. Bailing said, "Back on Nanyue Mountain you got hold of one line that gave you real power. Have you ever passed it on?"
"I have," said Pang.
"To whom?"
Pang pointed at himself. "This man here. Pang."
Bailing said, "Even Manjushri and Subhuti couldn't praise that enough."
Then Pang asked, "And your own line of power. Who gets to know it?"
Bailing put on his bamboo hat and walked off.
"Safe travels," said Pang.
Bailing didn't look back.
Another day Bailing said to the Layman, "Speak or stay silent, either way you're not off the hook. So tell me, what is it you can't get off the hook from?"
Pang blinked at him.
Bailing said, "Remarkable. Nothing gets past that."
"You give me too much credit," said Pang.
"And who doesn't do the same? Who doesn't?" said Bailing.
Pang took his leave and went.
One day Bailing was sitting in the abbot's room when Pang came in. Bailing seized him and said, "People now have their say. The old masters had theirs. What do you say?"
Pang slapped him.
"You had to speak," said Bailing.
"Speak and I'm already in the wrong," said Pang.
"Give me back that slap," said Bailing.
Pang stepped closer. "Try it. Take your shot."
Bailing only said, "Take care."
One day the Layman asked Bailing, "These very eyes, can they shut a man's mouth?"
"How could they?" said Bailing.
"I knew it. I knew it," said Pang.
Bailing said, "The stick doesn't strike a man with nothing to answer for."
Pang turned to face him. "Hit me. Hit me."
Bailing reached for the stick. Pang caught it and said, "Now get me off the hook."
Bailing had nothing to say.