Apr 16, 2023
Linji said to an assembly, "At my late teacher's place I was beaten three times, sixty blows; it was like a brush-off with a mugwort twig. Now I'm thinking of taking another beating; who will do it?" A monk came forth and said, "I'll do it." Linji held up his cane to hand it to him. As the monk made to take it, Linji hit him. Xuedou cited this and said, "Linji's letting go was comparatively dangerous; his retraction was too fast."