Blue Cliff Record 5: Hsueh Feng's Grain of Rice

Pointer

Whoever would uphold the teaching of our school must be a brave spirited fellow; only with the ability to kill a man without blinking an eye can one become Buddha right where he stands. Therefore his illumination and function are simultaneous; wrapping up and opening out are equal in his preaching. Principle and phenomena are not two, and he practices both the provisional and the real. Letting go of the primary, he sets up the gate of the secondary meaning; if he were to cut off all complications straightaway, it would be impossible for latecoming students of elementary capabilities to find a resting place. It was this way yesterday; the matter couldn't be avoided. It is this way today too; faults and errors fill the skies. Still, if one is a clear eyed person, he can't be fooled one bit. Without clear eyes, lying in the mouth of a tiger, one cannot avoid losing one's body and life. As a test, I cite this; look!

Case

Hsueh Feng, teaching his community, said,¹ "Pick up the whole great earth in your fingers, and it's as big as a grain of rice.² Throw it down before you:³ if, like a lacquer bucket, you don't understand,⁴ I'll beat the drum to call everyone to look."⁵

Notes

1. One blind man leading a crowd of blind men. It's not beyond him.

2. What technique is this? I myself have never sported devil eyes.

3. I'm afraid it can't be thrown down. What skill do you have?

4. Hsueh Feng relies on his power to deceive people. Take what's coming to you and get out!

5. Blind! The beat of the drum is for the three armies.

Submitted July 02, 2017 at 01:26PM by padmagarbha http://ift.tt/2suS3Kl