8Case 8
居士同松山和尚喫茶次，士舉槖子曰：「人人盡有分，為什麼道不得？」山曰：「祇為人人盡有，所以道不得。」士曰：「阿兄為什麼却道得？」山曰：「不可無言也。」士曰：「灼然！灼然！」山便喫茶。士曰：「阿兄喫茶，為什麼不揖客？」山曰：「誰？」士曰：「龐公。」山曰：「何須更揖？」後丹霞聞，乃曰：「若不是松山，幾被箇老翁惑亂一生。」士聞之，乃令人傳語霞曰：「何不會取未舉槖子時？」居士一日與松山看耕牛次，士指牛曰：「是伊時中更安樂，只是未知有。」山曰：「若非龐公，又爭識伊？」士曰：「阿師道渠未知有箇什麼？」山曰：「未見石頭，不妨道不得。」士曰：「見後作麼生？」山撫掌三下。居士一日到松山，見山携杖子，便曰：「手中是箇什麼？」山曰：「老僧年邁，闕伊一步不得。」士曰：「雖然如是，壯力猶存。」山便打。士曰：「放却手中杖子，致將一問來。」山拋下杖子。士曰：「這老漢，前言不付後語。」山便喝。士曰：「蒼天中更有怨苦。」居士一日與松山行次，見僧擇菜。山曰：「黃葉即去，青葉即留。」士曰：「不落黃葉，又作麼生？」山曰：「道取。」士曰：「不為賓主，大難。」山曰：「只為強作主宰。」士曰：「誰不恁麼？」山曰：「不是，不是。」士曰：「青黃不留處，就中難道。」山曰：「也解恁麼去。」士珍重大眾。山曰：「大眾放你落機處。」士便行。一日，松山與居士話次，山驀拈起案上尺子云：「還見這箇麼？」士曰：「見。」山曰：「見箇什麼？」士曰：「松山！松山！」山曰：「不得不道。」士曰：「爭得？」山乃拋下尺子。士曰：「有頭無尾得人憎。」山曰：「不是翁，今日還道不及。」士曰：「不及箇什麼？」山曰：「有頭無尾。」士曰：「強中得弱即有，弱中得強即無。」山抱住居士曰：「這個老子，就中無話處。」居士問本谿和尚：「丹霞打侍者，意在何所？」谿曰：「大老翁見人長短在。」士曰：「為我與師同參，方敢借問。」谿曰：「若恁麼，從頭舉來，共你商量。」士曰：「大老翁不可共你說人是非。」谿曰：「念翁年老。」士曰：「罪過！罪過！」本谿一日見居士來，乃目視多時。士乃將杖子畫一圓相，谿便近前以脚踏。士曰：「是什麼？是什麼？」谿却於居士前畫一圓相，士亦以脚踏。谿曰：「來時有，去時無。」士抱拄杖而立。谿曰：「來時有，去時無。」士曰：「幸自圓成，徒勞目視。」谿拍手曰：「奇特，一無所得。」士拈杖子點點而去。谿曰：「看路！看路！」士曰：「是什麼？是什麼？」
Layman Pang was drinking tea with Master Songshan. The Layman held up the tray and said, "Everyone has a full share of it. So why can't anyone say it?"
Songshan said, "Precisely because everyone has it, no one can say it."
The Layman said, "Then how come you can say it, brother?"
Songshan said, "I can't just say nothing."
The Layman said, "Right. Exactly." And Songshan went on drinking his tea.
The Layman said, "Brother, you're drinking your tea. Why don't you offer any to your guest?"
Songshan said, "Who's the guest?"
The Layman said, "Pang."
Songshan said, "Then why bother offering it?"
Later Danxia heard about this and said, "If it hadn't been Songshan, that old man would have thrown him for the rest of his life."
When the Layman heard that, he sent someone to tell Danxia: "Why not get the point before the tray was ever lifted?"
---
One day the Layman was watching a plow ox with Songshan. Pointing at the ox, he said, "He's perfectly content right where he is. He just doesn't know he's got it."
Songshan said, "If it weren't for you, who'd ever recognize that in him?"
The Layman said, "Master, you say he doesn't know he's got it. Got what?"
Songshan said, "He hasn't met Shitou yet, so no wonder he can't say it."
The Layman said, "And after he meets him?"
Songshan clapped his hands three times.
---
One day the Layman came to see Songshan and found him carrying a staff. He said, "What's that in your hand?"
Songshan said, "I'm getting on in years. I can't take a single step without it."
The Layman said, "Even so, you've still got plenty of strength left."
Songshan hit him with the staff.
The Layman said, "Drop that staff and ask me a real question."
Songshan threw down the staff.
The Layman said, "This old man. What he says first doesn't match what comes next."
Songshan let out a shout.
The Layman said, "Heaven help us. There's more grief here yet."
---
One day the Layman was walking with Songshan when they saw a monk sorting vegetables. Songshan said, "Toss the yellow leaves, keep the green ones."
The Layman said, "And not falling into yellow leaves at all?"
Songshan said, "You say it."
The Layman said, "Being neither host nor guest. Now that's hard."
Songshan said, "It's only because you keep forcing yourself to play host."
The Layman said, "Who doesn't?"
Songshan said, "No, no."
The Layman said, "The place where neither green nor yellow remains. That's the hard thing to say."
Songshan said, "And yet you manage to talk that way anyhow."
The Layman said, "Take care, everyone."
Songshan said, "Everyone's letting you off where you slipped."
And the Layman walked off.
---
One day Songshan was talking with the Layman when he suddenly picked up the ruler from the table and said, "Do you see this?"
The Layman said, "I see it."
Songshan said, "See what?"
The Layman said, "Songshan. Songshan."
Songshan said, "You can't not say it."
The Layman said, "How could I?"
Songshan threw down the ruler.
The Layman said, "All head and no tail. That kind of thing makes people sick."
Songshan said, "If it weren't you, old man, today you still wouldn't have measured up."
The Layman said, "Measured up to what?"
Songshan said, "All head and no tail."
The Layman said, "Find the weak inside the strong and there's something there. Find the strong inside the weak and there's nothing."
Songshan threw his arms around the Layman and said, "This old fellow. Right here there's nothing left to say."
---
The Layman asked Master Benxi, "When Danxia hit his attendant, what was he getting at?"
Benxi said, "The old man can see what's long and short in people."
The Layman said, "I'm only daring to ask because you and I studied under the same teacher."
Benxi said, "If that's how it is, lay it out from the top and we'll talk it over."
The Layman said, "A great old man shouldn't be gossiping with you about who's right and who's wrong."
Benxi said, "I'll allow it on account of your age."
The Layman said, "My mistake. My mistake."
---
One day Benxi saw the Layman coming and just stared at him for a long while. The Layman took his staff and drew a circle on the ground. Benxi stepped forward and stamped on it with his foot.
The Layman said, "What's that? What's that?"
Benxi then drew a circle in front of the Layman. The Layman stamped on it too.
Benxi said, "Coming, there's something. Going, there's nothing."
The Layman hugged his staff and stood there.
Benxi said, "Coming, there's something. Going, there's nothing."
The Layman said, "It's already complete on its own. You stared for nothing."
Benxi clapped his hands and said, "Remarkable. Not one thing gained."
The Layman tapped his way out with his staff, tap, tap.
Benxi said, "Watch the road. Watch the road."
The Layman said, "What's that? What's that?"