Zen animals

Which animal is the most Zen?

What about cats? Well, that one cat didn't fare so well when Nansen got hold of it. We all know the story so for once let's move on to another animal.

What about tigers? They get mentioned a few times, usually fierce. I didn't remember where I read it so I did a quick googling. Found this excerpt from a book called "The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women". Seems to be a hodgepodge of perrenialist musings, but hey, it's a Zhaozhou story! Anyone know where this is from?

One day when Master Zhaozhou Congshen was outside the monastery, he saw an old woman hoeing a field. He asked her, "What would you do if you suddenly met a fierce tiger?"

She replied, "Nothing in this world frightens me," and turned back to her hoering.

Zhaozhou roared like a tiger. She roared back at him.

Zhaozhou said, "There's still this."

Cool story, huh?

What about Foxes? Well, we've got Hyakujo's Fox. A man doomed to five hundred lifetimes as a fox? I mean if it's a punishment, how well are the foxes getting off here? Well, Mumon says Hyakujo would have enjoyed five hundred rebirths as a fox. So it couldn't be all bad, could it?

Case 12 of Mumonkan ends Mumon's comment with the words:

If you imitate Zuigan, you will play the fox.

What does this have to do with foxes? Want to know? Well go read the case!

What about cows? I remember a case where Nan'chuan had Zhaozhou's fingers up his nose, but here's another one from Mumonkan:

Case 17 Chû the National Teacher Gives Three Calls

The National Teacher called his attendant three times, and three times the attendant responded.

The National Teacher said, "I long feared that I was betraying you, but really it was you who were betraying me."

Mumon's Comment

The National Teacher called three times, and his tongue fell to the ground.

The attendant responded three times, and he gave his answer with brilliance.

The National Teacher was old and lonely; he held the cow's head and forced it to eat grass.

The attendant would have none of it;

delicious food has little attraction for a man who is satiated. Tell me, at what point was the betrayal?

When the country is flourishing, talent is prized. When the home is wealthy, the children are proud.

Mumon's Verse

He carried and iron yoke with no hole

And left a curse to trouble his descendants.

If you want to hold up the gate and the doors,

You must climb a mountain of swords with bare feet.

Yeah. I guess cows are just cows here and do cow things. Interesting case though, right? Why is the attendant betraying him? Why scold the cow after you hold its head and forcefeed it grass?

What about snakes? I think it was Nansen who killed one? Does the man just hate animals?

Let's leave out the dragons, for now, what other animals show up in Zen stories?

Submitted March 27, 2018 at 07:29PM by dota2nub https://ift.tt/2IVhCsE