Sunday, 31 December 2017

A wall a mile high

Master Nanyuan said to an assembly,

“In the mass of naked flesh stand like a wall a mile high.”

A monk asked, “’In the mass of naked flesh stand like a wall a mile high’—isn’t this a saying of yours?”

He said, “Yes.” The monk then overturned the Chan seat.

Nanyuan said, “Look at this blind fellow acting rebelliously.”

The monk hesitated; Nanyuan hit him and drove him out.

Dahui said, “I now guarantee you this matter is ultimately not in vain.”

From the Dahui Shobogenzo.

Note: I remember u/ewk mentioning that a more accurate translation of Bodhidharma sitting in front of a wall for years was something about a mind like a straight standing wall. Maybe that's where Nanyuan got it?

u/Ewk do you have a source on that? It always interested me.



Submitted December 31, 2017 at 09:30PM by koancomentator http://ift.tt/2lxkJMw

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