46Linji Gets Hit Three Times行錄
師初在黃蘗會下行業純一，首座乃歎曰：「雖是後生，與眾有異。」遂問：「上座在此多少時？」師云：「三年。」首座云：「曾參問也無？」師云：「不曾參問，不知問箇什麼？」首座云：「汝何不去問堂頭和尚，如何是佛法的的大意？」師便去問，聲未絕，黃蘗便打。師下來，首座云：「問話作麼生？」師云：「某甲問聲未絕，和尚便打，某甲不會。」首座云：「但更去問。」師又去問，黃蘗又打。如是三度發問，三度被打。師來白首座云：「幸蒙慈悲，令某甲問訊和尚，三度發問，三度被打，自恨障緣不領深旨，今且辭去。」首座云：「汝若去時，須辭和尚去。」師禮拜退，首座先到和尚處，云：「問話底後生甚是如法，若來辭時，方便接他，向後穿鑿成一株大樹，與天下人作廕涼去在。」師去辭黃蘗，蘗云：「不得往別處去，汝向高安灘頭大愚處去，必為汝說。」師到大愚，大愚問：「什麼處來？」師云：「黃蘗處來。」大愚云：「黃蘗有何言句？」師云：「某甲三度問佛法的的大意，三度被打。不知某甲有過？無過？」大愚云：「黃蘗與麼老婆為汝得徹困，更來這裏問有過、無過？」師於言下大悟，云：「元來黃蘗佛法無多子。」大愚搊住云：「這尿床鬼子，適來道有過、無過，如今却道黃蘗佛法無多子。爾見箇什麼道理？速道，速道。」師於大愚脅下築三拳，大愚托開，云：「汝師黃蘗，非干我事。」師辭大愚，却回黃蘗。黃蘗見來便問：「這漢來來去去，有什麼了期？」師云：「秖為老婆心切。」便人事了侍立。黃蘗問：「什麼處去來？」師云：「昨奉慈旨，令參大愚去來。」黃蘗云：「大愚有何言句？」師遂舉前話，黃蘗云：「作麼生得這漢來？待痛與一頓。」師云：「說什麼待來？即今便喫。」隨後便掌。黃蘗云：「這風顛漢却來這裏捋虎鬚。」師便喝。黃蘗云：「侍者引這風顛漢參堂去。」後溈山舉此話問仰山：「臨濟當時得大愚力？得黃蘗力？」仰山云：「非但騎虎頭，亦解把虎尾。」
In his early days, Linji trained under Huangbo, plain and single-minded in his practice. The head monk took notice. "He's young," he said, "but he's not like the others." So he asked him, "How long have you been here?"
"Three years," Linji said.
"Have you ever gone in to question the master?"
"No. I wouldn't even know what to ask."
"Then go ask the master this: what is the real, essential point of the Buddha's teaching?"
Linji went and asked. Before he could finish the sentence, Huangbo hit him. Linji came back down.
"How did it go?" the head monk asked.
"I hadn't even finished asking and he hit me. I don't get it."
"Go ask again."
Linji went and asked, and Huangbo hit him again. Three times he asked, three times he got hit.
He came back to the head monk. "I'm grateful you sent me in to question the master. Three times I asked, three times I got hit. I can only blame myself: something's in the way, and I can't catch the deep meaning. I'm going to leave for now."
"If you're going," the head monk said, "at least say goodbye to the master first."
Linji bowed and withdrew. The head monk got to Huangbo ahead of him. "That young monk who's been asking questions, he's the real thing. When he comes to say goodbye, work with him a little. Hammer on him, and one day he'll grow into a great tree that shades everyone under heaven."
Linji came to take his leave. "Don't go just anywhere," Huangbo said. "Go to Dayu, at the river crossing in Gao'an. He'll explain it to you."
Linji reached Dayu. "Where are you coming from?" Dayu asked.
"From Huangbo."
"What did Huangbo have to say?"
"Three times I asked him about the real, essential point of the Buddha's teaching, and three times he hit me. I don't know: was I at fault or not?"
"Huangbo wore himself out being a kind old grandmother for you," Dayu said, "and here you are asking whether you were at fault."
At those words Linji woke up completely. "So there's nothing much to Huangbo's Buddhism after all."
Dayu grabbed him. "You little bed-wetting devil. A second ago you were asking whether you were at fault, and now you say there's nothing much to Huangbo's Buddhism. What did you just see? Say it. Say it!"
Linji jabbed Dayu three times in the ribs. Dayu shoved him off. "Huangbo's your teacher. This is none of my business."
Linji left Dayu and went back to Huangbo. Huangbo saw him coming. "This fellow, back and forth, back and forth. When does it ever end?"
"It's all because you're such a kind old grandmother," Linji said. Then he finished the formalities and stood waiting.
"Where've you been?" Huangbo asked.
"Yesterday, on your kind instruction, I went to see Dayu."
"What did Dayu have to say?"
Linji told him the whole thing. "Just wait till I get my hands on that Dayu," Huangbo said. "I'll give him a good beating."
"Why wait?" Linji said. "Take it now." And he slapped him.
"This madman," Huangbo said, "coming back here to pull the tiger's whiskers."
Linji let out a shout.
"Attendant," Huangbo said, "haul this madman off to the monks' hall."
Later Guishan brought this story up and asked Yangshan, "At that moment, was it Dayu's doing that got Linji there, or Huangbo's?"
"He didn't just ride the tiger's head," Yangshan said. "He knew how to grab its tail too."