The Master said, "The ancients, when they raised a single mechanism or a single circumstance, all used it to illuminate this matter. Consider: before the World-Honored One raised the flower, what principle was at work? Later, people bought hats to fit their heads, or sized up the mat before giving the order. Nowadays, people just memorize thousands and tens of thousands of things, entangling themselves in vines. What end is there to it? The more you know, the more you understand, the more afflictions arise.

When the ancients would raise up an old case or praise an old story, they had to be able to get out from under the ancient's intent before they could raise it up. Take Deshan, for example. Originally, he was a lecturer on the Diamond Sutra in Western Shu. Hearing that the Chan school was flourishing in the south, he said, 'The southern demons are so rampant!' So he stopped his lectures, dispersed his followers, took up his commentaries and notes, and set out to destroy the Chan school. When he got to Longtan, he had a great awakening in their conversation. Later, when he resided at Deshan, he would search the hall every three days. Whenever he saw any written words, he would immediately burn them. All day long, he was like wind and rain. Later, Yantou and Xuefeng came out from him, like dragons and tigers. When he himself 'beat the vines,' he had his own extraordinary points.

One day he instructed the assembly, saying, 'Just have no affairs in your mind, and in your mind have no affairs. Then it is empty yet numinous, still yet wondrous.' He also said, 'Grasping at emptiness, chasing echoes—it wearies your spirit. In a dream you awaken, but the awakening is not awakening; the awakening itself is not awakening.'

One day Yantou came to call on him. As soon as he spread out his sitting mat, Deshan took his staff and flicked it down the steps. Yantou went down the steps, retrieved it, and then went to the monks' hall. The next day, he came up to inquire after [Deshan's health]. While standing in attendance, Deshan said, 'Where did you learn this false front?' Yantou said, 'I dare not deceive myself.' Deshan said, 'In the future, you'll be shitting on this old monk's head.' Tell me, what did he see that he didn't strike him? Wasn't it because he had an extraordinary point that he could act like this?

Another time Yantou came to call. His foot had just crossed the threshold when he asked, 'Is it ordinary or is it sacred?' Deshan gave a shout. Yantou bowed. Tell me, what did this father and son see that they were so extraordinary?

Our ancestral teacher Wuzu said, 'Since he had opened a shop, why didn't he answer?' Tell me, what was Deshan's intent? This monk was also quite extraordinary. He jumped out from the assembly and bowed. Deshan struck him. It was like an eagle seizing a swallow, a falcon catching a dove.

Now, Fayan raised this and said, 'Great and small Deshan, he made the story into two separate pieces.' One could say he settled the case according to the evidence. Yuanming raised it and said, 'Great and small Deshan, a dragon's head and a snake's tail.' He was also fitting a peg into a hole. How do you understand this case now? If you understand it as two separate pieces, you've missed the point entirely. If you understand it as a dragon's head and a snake's tail, you've also missed the point entirely. Since it's not understood in these ways, how, after all, should it be understood? Tell me, why did these two old worthies raise it in this way? Everyone, try looking with your eyes.

The ancients said, 'A lion bites a man; a mad dog chases a clod.' How do you see Deshan now? Therefore, when raising up ten old cases, they are raised in ten different ways. You must get out from under the ancient's intent before it can be called 'raising up an old case.'

Take, for example, Layman Fu's saying: 'Night after night embracing the Buddha in sleep, morning after morning rising together still. If you want to know where the Buddha goes, it's just this sound of speech.' Look at Xuansha raising it: 'Great and small Layman Fu, he only recognized the bright and shining, the numinous and aware.'

Also, Lingyun, upon seeing peach blossoms, awakened and said, 'Ever since I saw the peach blossoms, until now I have never doubted.' Xuansha said, 'Accurate, very accurate. But I dare guarantee the elder brother is not yet completely through.' Tell me, what was his intent?

Xuedou was just like the ancients. First he raised the words of these two, saying, 'These two old worthies, though skilled at cutting the long to supplement the short, and abandoning the heavy to take up the light, tell me, where is the place of cutting the long to supplement the short? Where is the place of abandoning the heavy to take up the light?' These two clearly examined Deshan. Xuedou raised it; why then did he say, 'To see Deshan is still not yet possible'? Xuedou later also just wanted to see this bit of Deshan, and this too was difficult.

Later people then gave deviant explanations, saying, 'Fayan and Yuanming were just cutting the long to supplement the short, abandoning the heavy to take up the light.' They just kept making proclamations. What connection does that have?

Xuedou raised it, saying, 'What was Deshan like? He was like a general outside the palace gates. He had authority and power. Because he had a sword, when it was time to cut and he did not cut, he also did not invite disorder.' Xuedou raised it like this, and there were also many who misunderstood it.

Xuedou had already raised it earlier; why did he raise it again, saying, 'Everyone, do you want to recognize the monk from Silla? He's just a blind man who bumped into a pillar.' Everyone, tell me, where was this monk's blindness? Many people give emotional interpretations, saying, 'When Deshan asked, 'Where are you from?' he should have immediately taken his sitting mat and slapped him across the face!' Fool! If it were like that, Deshan would have let you go. Tell me, after all, where was this monk's blindness?"

The Master then struck [with his staff].