1Linji Takes the High Seat上堂
府主王常侍與諸官請師升座，師上堂，云：「山僧今日事不獲已，曲順人情，方登此座。若約祖宗門下稱揚大事，直是開口不得，無爾措足處。山僧此日以常侍堅請，那隱綱宗？還有作家戰將，直下展陣開旗麼？對眾證據看。」僧問：「如何是佛法大意？」師便喝。僧禮拜。師云：「這箇師僧，却堪持論。」問師：「唱誰家曲？宗風嗣阿誰？」師云：「我在黃蘗處，三度發問，三度被打。」僧擬議，師便喝，隨後打，云：「不可向虛空裏釘橛去也。」有座主問：「三乘十二分教，豈不是明佛性？」師云：「荒草不曾鋤。」主云：「佛豈賺人也？」師云：「佛在什麼處？」主無語。師云：「對常侍前擬瞞老僧，速退速退，妨他別人諸問。」復云：「此日法筵，為一大事故，更有問話者麼？速致問來。爾纔開口，早勿交涉也。何以如此？不見釋尊云：『法離文字，不屬因、不在緣故。』為爾信不及，所以今日葛藤，恐滯常侍與諸官員，昧他佛性，不如且退。」喝一喝，云：「少信根人，終無了日。久立珍重。」
The prefect, Councilor Wang, and the other officials asked Linji to take the high seat and teach. Linji went up and said: "Today I had no choice. Common courtesy pushed me up onto this seat. If you want me to honor our school and hold forth on the great matter, I can't even open my mouth; there's nowhere to set my feet. But since the Councilor presses me, why hide what our line stands for? Is there a seasoned fighter here, ready to line up his troops and raise his banner this instant? Let him prove it, in front of everyone."
A monk asked, "What is the essence of the Buddha's teaching?"
Linji shouted.
The monk bowed.
Linji said, "This one's actually worth a bout."
Someone asked, "Master, whose tune do you sing? Whose line do you carry on?"
Linji said, "When I was with Huangbo, I asked three times and was struck three times."
The monk started to speak. Linji shouted, then struck him, and said, "You can't drive a stake into empty sky."
A lecture-master asked, "Don't the three vehicles and the twelve divisions of the teachings make the Buddha-nature plain?"
Linji said, "The weeds have never been pulled."
The master said, "Surely the Buddha wouldn't deceive people."
Linji said, "Where is this Buddha?"
The master had nothing to say.
Linji said, "You'd try to fool this old monk, right in front of the Councilor? Step back, step back. You're keeping the others from asking."
Then he said: "This assembly today is for one great matter. Anyone else with a question? Ask it now. But the moment you open your mouth, you've already missed it. Why? Haven't you heard the Buddha say, 'The Dharma is beyond words; it does not belong to causes, it does not rest on conditions'? You don't trust this all the way, so today we tangle ourselves in vines. I'm afraid I'm holding up the Councilor and the officials and clouding their own Buddha-nature. Better to stop here."
He gave a shout and said, "For people with shallow roots of faith, the day never comes. You've stood a long while. Take care of yourselves."