Entangling Vines Page 9

  Case 46-3 Zhongfeng’s Eight-Word Question on “Wu”

  Zhongfeng Mingben asked, “What was the reason that Zhaozhou said ‘Wu’?”

  This is called “The eight-word question of Zhongfeng” or “The question of why he said what he did.”

  Case 46-4 Dahui’s “Wu”

  Dahui Zonggao said, “Just work diligently on Zhaozhou’s ‘Wu.’”

  Case 46-5 Before the Monk Asked about Buddha Nature

  A man of old1 said, “Before the monk asked about buddha nature, before Zhaozhou answered ‘Wu!’—what about then?”

  1.It is unknown who the “man of old” is.

  Case 46-6 Penetrate It Thoroughly

  An ancient worthy said,1 “Penetrate it thoroughly!”2

  1.It is unknown who the “ancient worthy” is.

  2.“It” refers to Zhaozhou Congshen’s “Wu.”

  Case 47 Buddha Straight, Ancestors Crooked1

  The Buddha’s teaching was straight. Why do the ancestors sing such a crooked tune?

  1.This koan is placed immediately after Case 46-1 in the original Kattōshū text. However, since the subsequent five cases all deal with the koan “Zhaozhou’s Wu,” I have followed Dōmae in placing the six Wu koans together and situating this koan immediately afterward.

  Case 48 A Woman Comes Out of Samadhi1

  Long ago Mañjuśrī went to a gathering of buddhas as they were returning to their own domains. However, one woman remained sitting in samadhi near the seat of Śākyamuni Buddha.

  Mañjuśrī asked Śākyamuni, “Why can this woman stay close to the Buddha’s seat when I cannot?”

  Śākyamuni replied, “Just wake the woman up, bring her out of samadhi, and ask her yourself.”

  Mañjuśrī circled the woman three times, snapped his fingers once, and raised her into the Brahma Heaven. But even after employing all of his supernatural powers he was unable to bring her out of samadhi.

  Śākyamuni then said, “Even a hundred thousand Mañjuśrīs would not be able to bring this woman out of samadhi. Down below, past as many worlds as there are grains of sand in four billion two hundred million Ganges Rivers, there is a bodhisattva named Delusion who will be able to bring her out.”2 At that moment Delusion emerged from out of the ground and paid homage to Śākyamuni. Then, as instructed by the Buddha, he went before the woman and snapped his fingers once. At this she emerged from samadhi.

  1.Also Wumen guan 42, Main Case. For a related koan, see Case 87.

  2.“Delusion” is a translation of “Wangming” , a name synonymous with or , “ignorance.” In contrast to Mañjuśrī, the bodhisattva of perfect enlightenment, Delusion is a low-level bodhisattva.

  Case 49 East Mountain Walks on the Water

  A monk questioned Yunmen, “What is the place from which all buddhas come?”

  Yunmen replied, “East Mountain walks on the water.”

  Case 50 Lotus Samadhi

  In the Lotus Sutra it is written, “Deeply entering samadhi, see the buddhas of the ten directions.”1

  1.Lotus Sutra, “Chapter on Peaceful Practices” (); T 9:39c.

  Case 51 The Buddha of Great Universal Wisdom Excellence1

  In the Lotus Sutra it is written, “The Buddha of Great Universal Wisdom Excellence sat in the place of enlightenment for ten kalpas, but the Buddhadharma did not manifest to him, and he could not attain the Buddha-way.”2

  1.A fuller version of this koan appears as Wumen guan 9, Main Case.

  2.This passage is from the Lotus Sutra, “Chapter on the Phantom City” (T 9:26a; 160c). It is of interest to note that, according to the Lotus Sutra account, at the end of the ten kalpas the Buddha of Great Universal Wisdom Excellence sat on a throne made for him by the gods of the Brahma Heaven and, after ten more kalpas, attained Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. Following this he taught the Dharma, from one level to the next, until he reached the highest level, that of the Lotus Sutra.

  Case 52 Huanglong’s “Sutra Chanting”

  When Huanglong Huinan was residing on Mount Huangbo, he would say to monks in the sanzen room, “Up in the bell tower, reciting sutras; down by the meditation bench, raising vegetables.”1

  The head monk Sheng2 gave a turning-phrase, saying, “A fierce tiger sits in the middle of the road.”3

  At this Huanglong retired, turning his position as master of the monastery over to Sheng and going to live at the Jicui Hermitage.

  1.This line describes the daily monastic routine of ritual practice, meditation, and manual labor.

  2.“Head monk Sheng” is Huangbo Weisheng.

  3.A saying that indicates a person one can’t heedlessly walk by, a person whom even the buddhas and ancestors can’t approach.

  Case 53 Mazu’s “Salt and Sauce”

  After Mazu Daoyi received the Dharma from Nanyue Huairang, he went to Jiangxi and there spread the teachings of the Zen school.

  One day Huairang said, “Daoyi is in Jiangxi teaching the Dharma, but there’s been no word from him.” He therefore said to one of the monks, “Go to Mazu’s place, wait until he gives a lecture, then ask, ‘How is it?’ Remember what he says, then come and tell me.”

  The monk did as instructed, waiting for a lecture and then asking Mazu, “How is it?”

  Mazu replied, “In the thirty years1 since I left confusion behind,2 I’ve never lacked for salt or sauce.”

  Huairang praised this reply.

  1.The Kattōshū has “twenty years,” but in the original sources (e.g., the Discourses of Chan Master Dahui ; T 47:871a) the number is thirty. The text has been changed accordingly.

  2.“Left confusion behind” is an attempt to translate the term . Mujaku explains that the word means “barbarian” and refers to the turbulence that followed the barbarians’ incursions, during which the Chinese would hurriedly leave their cities. From this the compound came to indicate a state of confusion. “Since I left confusion behind” implies “since I entered the Way”; in Buddhism it is said, “In food and clothing there is no mind that seeks the Way, but in the mind that seeks the Way there are food and clothing.”

  Case 54 Juniper Tree, Carrying Bowls

  “Zhaozhou’s ‘Juniper Tree’” and “Deshan Carries His Bowls”1—are these koans the same or are they different?

  1.See Cases 9 and 22-1.

  Case 55 Mr. Zhang Drinks Wine

  A man of old said, “Mr. Zhang drinks wine, Mr. Li gets drunk.”1

  1.“Mr. Zhang drinks wine, Mr. Li gets drunk” is a line from a popular song of the early Tang dynasty. Yunmen quotes it in his Extensive Record (T 47:558c).

  Case 56 Gushan’s Gāthā

  Gushan Shigui said, “For ten years at sea I have sought my enemy; until I find my enemy I cannot rest.”1

  Blossoming peony flowers, like bodhisattvas’ faces;

  Scattered palm fronds, like demons’ heads.2

  1.“Enemy” translates , which can indicate either an enemy or a lover. In Zen it is used to indicate a true teacher or the original face.

  2.Dōmae comments that both the bodhisattvas’ faces and the demons’ heads are aspects of the formless original face.

  Case 57 To Lose a Human Birth

  The Brahma Net Sutra says, “Lose your human birth once, and you may not regain it for ten thousand kalpas.”1

  1.T 24:1003a. The entire passage reads:

  If we do not fear transgressions, it is difficult to develop a wholesome mind. Therefore, the sutras contain this teaching: Do not regard a minor misdeed as inconsequential. In time, drops of water may fill a large vessel. Offenses committed in a moment may result in eons of suffering in the hells. Once the human life is lost, it may not be regained for myriads of lifetimes. Youth is like a galloping horse. Our life is more fleeting than the waters of a mountain stream. Today we are alive; tomorrow, who knows? Let each of us practice diligently and singlemindedly. (Sutra Translation Committee of the United States and Canada 2000)

  Case 58 Shoushan’s “This Sutra”

  A m
onk asked Shoushan Shengnian, “The buddhas all issue from this sutra; what sutra is it?”1 The master said, “Speak softly! Speak softly!”2

  “How am I to receive and maintain this?” the monk asked.

  “Never defile it!” answered the master.

  1.In the Diamond Sutra one finds the sentence: “All the Dharmas of the buddhas and of the supreme and perfect enlightenment of the buddhas derive from this sutra” (T 8:749b). Blue Cliff Record 97, Commentary on the Main Case, remarks as follows:

  Fayan [Wenyi] said realizing buddhahood is called upholding the [Diamond Sutra]. The scripture says, “All buddhas, and the teaching of the complete enlightenment of all buddhas, come from this scripture.” But tell me, what do you call “this scripture”? Is it the actual text?… [People nowadays] don’t realize it all arises from their own original minds. (Cleary 1998, pp. 425, 427)

  2.“Speak softly, speak softly” translates , literally “low voice, low voice.” The implied meaning is “speak quietly or people will hear.” When speaking of the truth, be sure that your words are quiet enough not to reach the ears of those incapable of understanding them correctly (ZGDJ: 879c).

  Case 59 Xinghua’s “Hold to the Center”

  A monk asked Xinghua Cunjiang, “What should one do when things come from every direction?”

  The master said, “Hold to the center.”1

  The monk bowed.

  The master then said, “Yesterday, as I was on my way to a dinner in the village, I was caught in a sudden storm with heavy rain and violent wind, so I headed for an old shrine and found shelter.”

  Ying’an Tanhua commented, “The assembly considered the matter and said, ‘Taking shelter in an old mausoleum refers to the self that precedes the Kalpa of Emptiness,2 or to the place where Xinghua attained peace of mind and fully realized his original nature.’ Little did they know that Xinghua, his purse filled with one hundred thousand in cash, mounted a crane and went down to Yangzhou.”3

  1.The verb “hold” in the sentence “Hold to the center” translates , a word that originally means “strike” or “hit” but that can be used in a wide variety of ways, e.g., , “to buy alcohol,” , “to draw water,” , “to cut weeds,” , “to make a cart,” etc. (ZGDJ: 780b). Thus other possible translations are “Aim for the center,” “Strike at the center,” etc.

  2.The Kalpa of Emptiness is the kalpa that lies between the destruction of one universe and the formation of the next.

  3.The implication of “going down to Yangzhou” is not entirely clear. The city of Yangzhou had a well-known pleasure quarter. Morohashi, however, mentions an old tale that may provide relevant background information. A group of men were discussing their wishes. One man said that he would like to become governor of Yangzhou, another that he would like to have plenty of money, and another that he would like to fly on the back of a crane. Thereupon another man said, “So if someone slung a hundred thousand in cash from his waist, got on a crane, and flew off to Yangzhou, then he would fulfill all of these wishes at once” (5:319b–c).

  Case 60 Guishan’s “Water Buffalo”

  Guishan Lingyou addressed the assembly, saying, “When this old monk’s one hundred years are finished, I’ll be reborn as a water buffalo at the believer’s house by the foot of the mountain.1 On the water buffalo’s lower left flank will be written the five characters , ‘Monk So-and-so of Mount Gui.’ If you call it a monk from Mount Gui, it’s still a buffalo, and if you call it a buffalo, it’s still a monk of Mount Gui. So tell me then, to get it right, what should you call it?”

  Yangshan Huiji stepped forward, bowed, and walked away.

  1.See also Case 63, “Nantang’s ‘Other Realms,’” and Case 90, “Nanquan’s ‘Water Buffalo.’” In Rinzai Zen koan training the present koan and “Nanquan’s ‘Water Buffalo’” are linked.

  It was also said in ancient China that those who died with unpaid debts were reborn as water buffaloes at the creditor’s household. The characters of the dead person’s name would often appear on the animal; the person’s descendants would then buy the animal, paying off the debt.

  Case 61 The Sail Has Yet to Be Hoisted

  A monk asked Yantou Quanhuo, “How about when the old sail has yet to be hoisted?”

  Yantou replied, “A small fish swallows a big fish.”1

  The monk said, “How about after it’s been hoisted?”

  Yantou said, “A donkey grazes in the back garden.”

  Later Xutang asked Nanpo Jōmyō, “How about when the old sail has yet to be hoisted?”

  Nanpo said, “Five Mount Sumerus in the eye of a gnat.”2

  Xutang continued, “How about after it’s been hoisted?”

  Nanpo said, “The Yellow River flows north.”3

  1.ZGDJ: An expression representing the transcendence of the dichotomy between large and small, active and passive.

  2.ZGJI: Same meaning as 1, above.

  3.The Yellow River actually flows east.

  Case 62 Dongshan’s “Three Pounds of Hemp”1

  A monk asked Dongshan Shouchu, “What is buddha?”

  Dongshan answered, “Three pounds of hemp.”2

  1.Also Wumen guan 18, Main Case; Blue Cliff Record 12, Main Case.

  2.Dōmae: The conceptual explanation that three pounds of hemp represents the amount of material in the Buddha’s robe misses the point.

  Case 63 Nantang’s “Other Realms”

  In his ten admonitions,1 Nantang Yuanjing says, “Work actively in the other realms.”2

  1.Nantang’s ten admonitions are:

  1)have faith that there is a separate teaching transmitted outside the sutras;

  2)gain a clear understanding of this separate transmission;

  3)know the unity of the “Dharma-teaching of the sentient” and the “Dharma-teaching of the nonsentient” ;

  4)see original nature as clearly as viewing it in the palm of your hand, and be calm and steadfast in spirit;

  5)possess the discerning eye of the Dharma;

  6)leave no traces, like a bird flying through the air;

  7)be proficient in both doctrine and practice;

  8)destroy the false and reveal the true;

  9)manifest great functioning;

  10)work actively in the other realms of existence.

  2.The six realms of existence in Buddhist cosmology are those of: (1) the heavenly beings, (2) human beings, (3) asuras, (4) animals, (5) pretas or hungry ghosts, and (6) hell-dwellers. Precedents for Nantang’s admonition to continue working in different realms of existence are seen in Case 60 (“Guishan’s ‘Water Buffalo’”) and Case 90 (“Nanquan’s ‘Water Buffalo’”).

  Case 64 No Merit1

  When Bodhidharma met Emperor Wu of the Liang, the emperor asked, “I have founded temples and ordained monks. What merit have I gained from these acts?”

  Bodhidharma answered, “No merit.”

  1.For a fuller version of this episode, see Blue Cliff Record 1, Commentary on the Main Case.

  Case 65 A Man in a Thousand-Foot Well1

  A monk asked Shishuang Xingkong, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch coming from the West?”

  The master answered, “Let’s say there’s a man in a thousand-foot well. Get him out without using any rope, and I’ll answer you about the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West.”

  The monk said, “But in Hunan now there’s a priest named Chang who freely explains all sorts of things to people.”2

  Thereupon Xingkong summoned the novice Jizi [Yangshan Huiji]3 and said, “Get this corpse out of here.”

  Later Huiji asked Danyuan Yingzhen, “How would one get the man out of the well?”

  Danyuan retorted, “Dolt! Blockhead! Who’s in a well!?”

  Huiji didn’t understand, and later put the same question to Guishan Lingyou. Guishan called out, “Huiji!”

  “Yes,” Huiji answered.

  “There, he’s out of the well!” said Guishan.

  Later, when Huiji lived
on Mount Yang, he would always tell this story to the assembly, saying, “I grasped what it is at Danyuan’s place, I grasped how it works at Guishan’s.”

  1.See Blue Cliff Record 18, Commentary on the Main Case.

  2.The monk is asking, “Other priests are willing to explain—why aren’t you?” “Freely explains all sorts of things” translates , literally, “Talks to the east and talks to the west.”

  3.Yangshan Huiji was at that time a novice studying under Xingkong, with the name Jizi .

  Case 66 Damei’s “Plum Pit”

  Layman Pang asked Damei, “I’ve long heard about the Great Plum.1 Is the fruit ripe yet?”

  The master said, “What’s there to peck at?”

  Layman Pang said, “I’ve chewed it to bits!”

  The master held out his hand and said, “Then give me the pit.”

  Layman Pang said nothing.

  1.The name “Damei” means “big plum.”

  Case 67 Fadeng Is Not Yet Finished1