Book of Serenity, Wansong, only trans. available by Cleary:
Case 22: Yantou's "Bow and Shout", [in which, I think, Yantou, dharma heir of Deshan, returns to visit his teacher]
Introduction: People are probed with words, water is probed with a stick. Pulling out the weeds looking for the way is what is ordinarily applied; suppose suddenly there leaps out a burnt-tail tiger--then what?
Case with Wansong's Commentary:
When Yantou came to Deshan, he straddled the threshold and asked, "Is this ordinary or is it holy?"
- Wansong: This thief!
Deshan immediately shouted.
- Wansong: Bursts his brain.
Yantou bowed.
- Wansong: This is not yet being good-hearted.
Dongshan heard of this and said, "Anyone but Yantou would hardly get it."
- Wansong: A rich reward, sweet words
Yantou said, "Old Dongshan doesn't know good and bad;
- Wansong: After all he's in a rush again.
at that time I was holding up with one hand and putting down with one hand."
- Wansong: Don't I know!
Wansong's Instruction on the Case (Excerpt):
Deshan ordinarily beat the wind and hit the rain. One day Yantou spread his sitting mat; Deshan pushed it downstairs with his staff. Yantou went down, gathered up the mat and went off. Next day he went up sand stood by Deshan. Deshan said, "Where did you learn this empty-headedness?" Yantou said, "I never fool myself." Deshan said, "Later on you will shit on my head." When the father hears his son is strong, he regrets not being killed himself'--'only when one's view surpasses the teacher is once capable of passing on the transmission.'
This question is referred to everywhere as the state of straddling the gate, but he did not necessarily actually straddle the gate to ask at first. In olden times an outsider concealed a live sparrow in his hand and asked the Buddha, "Is the sparrow in my hand alive or dead?" The Buddha straddled the gate with his feet and asked, "Tell me--am I about to leave or enter?" The question "Is this ordinary or holy?" truly contains this principle.
In the old days it is said Puhua pointed to the sage monk(Manjusri) statue(in the meditation hall) and asked Linji, "Tell me, is this ordinary or holy?" Linji immediately shouted; Puhua said, "Heyang is a new bride, Muta's is 'old lady' Chan; along with the little pisser of Linji, after all they have one eye." Linji said, "This old thief!" Puhua left the hall saying "Thief! Thief!" Shoushan said, "Of these two thieves there is a real thief; tell me, which is the real thief?"
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ewk ? note: Note that this Dongshan is the start of the so-called "Caodong lineage", and Deshan is his dharma cousin, that is their teacher's teachers had the same teacher, that is, if you overlook the irregularities of "lineage" that genuine Caodong is so famous for.
Half in, half out. One hand up, one down. Everybody come forward and take your turn explaining it.
Submitted March 28, 2018 at 06:12PM by ewk https://ift.tt/2IbYWnp
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