Greetings, fellow Chan travelers! The story that I am about to unfold before you has surely ruffled the feathers of countless students of the Way. Fear not! Out of great compassion, I also offer a “primer” teaching brought to you directly from Huáng Bò himself. So before you embark on the strange tale below, view this and get primed!
Ok! The story below is transmitted to us by none other than the Grand Koan Troll himself, YuanWu, from his commentary on Case 11 of the Blue Cliff Record. It is a tale of a royal fool, Xuān Zōng, who was no stranger to having his ass kicked. After a severe beatdown at the hands of his brother, he shaved his head and joined a monastery, which was apparently a career option for those needing to go into hiding. It is at this very point in history, that we set sail. . .
後到鹽官會中。請大中作書記。黃檗 在彼作首座。檗一日禮佛次。大中見而問曰。不著佛求。不著法求。不著眾求。禮拜 當何所求。檗云。不著佛求。不著法求。不著眾求。常禮如是。大中云。用禮何為。 檗便掌。大中云。太麁生。檗云。這裏什麼所在。說麁說細。檗又掌。大中後繼國位 賜黃檗為麁行沙門。裴相國在朝。後奏賜斷際禪師。
My translation
Later on, Dà Zhōng (Xuān Zōng) was serving as a scribe for the community at Yán Guān. The head monk of this community was Huáng Bò. One day, Huáng Bò was paying his respects to the Buddha.
Dà Zhōng saw this and asked him, “Since you don’t seek from the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha, what is it that you seek by performing these religious rites?”
Huáng Bò said, “I don’t seek from the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha, but I always do this”.
Dà Zhōng asked, “What is the use of doing this ceremonial practice?”
Huáng Bò slapped him.
Dà Zhōng said, “that was too harsh!”
Huáng Bò said, “What place do you think you are at to be speaking of harsh and soft?”
Huáng Bò slapped him again.
Dà Zhōng later became ruler of the country and bestowed on Huáng Bò the title Harsh Acting Monk. Later on, Prime Minister Pei bestowed on Huáng Bò the title Limitless Zen Monk.
Character breakdown
Later on, within the community at Yán Guān
後到鹽官會中。
hòu dào Yán Guān huì zhōng
| 後 back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later | 到 to (a place) / until (a time) / up to / to go / to arrive / verb complement denoting completion or result of an action | 鹽 官 The Community where Huáng Bò was teaching | 會 can / to be possible / to be able to / will / to be likely to / to be sure to / to assemble/to meet/to gather/to see/union / group / association | 中 zhōng within / among / in / middle / center / while (doing sth) / during / (dialect) OK / all right / China / Chinese / surname Zhong / within / among / in / middle / center / while (doing sth) / during / (dialect) OK / all right / to hit the mark
Dà Zhōng was asked to serve as a scribe.
請大中作書記。
qǐng dà zhōng zuò shū jì
| 請 to ask / to invite / please / to treat (to a meal etc) / to request | 大 中 Dà Zhōng A title for the emperor who was used to getting his ass kicked. | 作 to do / to grow / to write or compose / to pretend / to regard as / to feel / writings or works | 書記 shūji secretary / clerk / scribe
The head monk of this community was Huáng Bò
黃檗 在彼作首座。
Huáng Bò zài bǐ zuò shǒu zuò
|黃檗 huángbò | 在 (located) at / (to be) in / to exist / in the middle of doing sth / (indicating an action in progress) |彼 that / those / (one) another |作 to do / to grow / to write or compose / to pretend / to regard as / to feel / writings or works |首 head / chief / first (occasion, thing etc) / classifier for poems, songs etc |座 seat / base / stand / classifier for buildings, mountains and similar immovable objects
One day, Huáng Bò was performing ceremonial respects to the Buddha.
檗一日禮佛次。
bò yī rì lǐ fó cì
|檗 bò |一 one / 1 / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire / whole / all / throughout | 日 sun / day / date, day of the month |禮 gift / rite / ceremony / propriety / etiquette / courtesy | 佛 Buddha / Buddhism | 次 next in sequence / second / the second (day, time etc) / secondary / vice- / sub- / infra- / inferior quality / substandard / order / sequence / hypo- (chemistry) / classifier for enumerated events: time
Dà Zhōng saw this and asked,
大中見而問曰。
dà zhōng jiàn ér wèn yuē | 大中 dà zhōng | 見 to see / to meet / to appear (to be sth) / to interview |而 and / as well as / and so / but (not) / yet (not) / (indicates causal relation) / (indicates change of state) / (indicates contrast) |問 toask |曰 to speak / to say
You don’t seek from the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha,
不著佛求。不著法求。不著眾求
bù zhù fó qiú. bù zhuó fǎ qiú.
| 不著 no need / need not | 佛 Buddha / Buddhism | 求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech | 不著 no need / need not | 法 law / method / way / Buddhist teaching / Legalist |求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech | 不著 no need / need not | 眾 many / numerous / crowd / multitude | 求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech
What is it that you seek by performing these religious rites?”
禮拜 當何所求。
lǐ bài dāng hé suǒ qiú
禮拜 week / religious service / worship |當 dāng to be / to act as / manage / withstand / when / during / ought to be / to act as / manage/withstand/when/during/ough time or place) / on the spot / right / just at | 何所 where / what place | 求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech
Huáng Bò said,
檗云。
Bò yún
| 檗 Bò | 云 said
I don’t seek from the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha
不著佛求。不著法求。不著眾求
bù zhù fó qiú. bù zhuó fǎ qiú.
| 不著 no need / need not | 佛 Buddha / Buddhism | 求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech | 不著 no need / need not | 法 law / method / way / Buddhist teaching / Legalist |求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech | 不著 no need / need not | 眾 many / numerous / crowd / multitude | 求 to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech
I always do these ceremonial rites.
常禮如是。
cháng lǐ rú shì
| 常 always / ever / often / frequently / common / general / constant | 禮 gift / rite / ceremony / propriety / etiquette / courtesy | 如是 thus
Dà Zhōng said
大中云。
dà zhōng yún
| 大中 dà zhōng | 云 (classical) to say
What is the use of doing this ceremonial practice?
用禮何為。
yòng lǐ hé wèi
| 用 to use / to employ / to have to / to eat or drink / expense or outlay / usefulness / hence / therefore 禮 gift / rite / ceremony / propriety / etiquette / courtesy 何 what / how / why / which / carry 為 because / for / to
Huáng Bò slapped him
檗便掌。
Bò biàn zhǎng
| 檗 bò | 便 plain / informal / suitable / convenient / opportune / in that case / even if / soon afterwards | 掌 palm of the hand / sole of the foot / paw / horseshoe / to slap / to hold in one's hand / to wield
Dà Zhōng said
大中云。
dà zhōng yún
| 大中 | 云 classical) to say
That was too harsh
太麁生。
tài lài cū
| 太 highest / greatest / too (much) / very / extremely | 麁 variant of粗 (粗cū coarse / rough / thick unfinished / vulgar / rude / crude) | 生 to be born / to give birth / life / to grow / raw / uncooked / student
Huáng Bò said,
檗云。
bò yún
| 檗 bò | 云 (classical) to say
What place is this?
這裏什麼所在。
zhè lǐ shí me suǒ zài
| 這裏 variant of 這裡|这里 here | 什麼 what? / something / anything | 所在 place / location / whereabouts / domicile / to be located / to belong to (organization etc)
Say harsh say soft
說麁說細。
shuō lài shuō xì 說 to speak / to say / to explain / to scold / to tell off / a theory | 麁 variant of 麤|粗 (粗cū coarse / rough / thick unfinished / vulgar / rude / crude) | 說 to speak / to say / to explain / to scold / to tell off / a theory | 細 thin or slender / finely particulate / thin and soft / fine / delicate / trifling / (of a sound) quiet / frugal
Huáng Bò slapped him again
檗又掌。
bò yòu zhǎng
| 檗 bò |又 (once) again / also / both... and... / and yet / (used for emphasis) anyway | 掌 palm of the hand / sole of the foot / paw / horseshoe / to slap / to hold in one's hand / to wield
Dà Zhōng later became emperor and bestowed on Huáng bò the name “harsh acting monk”
大中後繼國位 賜黃檗為麁行沙門。
dà zhōng hòu jì guó wèi cì huáng bò wéi lài xíng shā mén
| 大中 dà zhōng | 後 back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later | 繼 to continue / to follow after / to go on with / to succeed / to inherit / then / afterwards | 國 country / nation / state / national | 位 position / location / place / seat / classifier for people (honorific) / classifier for binary bits / (physics) potential | 賜 to confer / to bestow / to grant |黃檗 huáng bò | 為 wéi as(in the capacity of) / to take sth as /to act as/ to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do / by 麁 variant of 麤|粗 (粗cū coarse / rough / thick unfinished / vulgar / rude / crude) | 行 xíng to walk / to go / to travel / a visit / temporary / makeshift / current / in circulation / to do / to perform / capable / competent / effective / all right / OK! / will do / behavior / conduct / 沙門 monk (Sanskrit: Sramana, originally refers to north India) / Buddhist monk
Pei was serving as Prime Minister
裴相國在朝。
péi xiāng guó zài zhāo
| 裴 surname Pei | 相國 prime minister (in ancient China) | 在朝 sitting (currently serving, e.g. board members)
Later (he) bestowed on Huáng Bò the name “Limitless Zen Monk”
後奏賜斷際禪師。
hòu zòu cì duàn jì chán shī
| 後 back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later | 奏 to play music / to achieve / to present a memorial to the emperor (old) | 賜 to confer / to bestow / to grant | 斷 to break / to snap / to cut off / to judge / (usu. used in the negative) absolutely / definitely / decidedly | 際 border / edge / boundary / interval / between / inter- / to meet / time / occasion / to meet with (circumstances) | 禪師 honorific title for a zen monk
Submitted March 04, 2018 at 04:04AM by Solstice_Ewell http://ift.tt/2CVSMom
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