The Gateless Gate [Mumonkan]: Bodhidharma's Mind-Pacifying

Case 41 of The Mumonkan: Bodhidharma's Mind-Pacifying 四十一 達磨安心

達磨面壁。

Bodhidharma sat facing the wall. ¹

二祖立雪。

The Second Patriarch stood in the snow.

斷臂云、弟子心未安、乞師安心。

He cut off his arm and presented it to Bodhidharma, crying, "My mind has no peace as yet! I beg you, master, please pacify my mind!" ²

磨云、將心來爲汝安。

"Bring your mind here and I will pacify it for you," replied Bodhidharma. ³

祖云、覓心了不可得。

"I have searched for my mind, and I cannot take hold of it," said the Second Patriarch. ⁴

磨云、爲汝安心竟。

"Now your mind is pacified," said Bodhidharma. ⁵

 

Mumon's Comment

無門曰、□齒老胡、十万里航海特特而來。

The broken-toothed old Hindu came so importantly, thousands of miles over the sea.

可謂是無風起浪。

This was raising waves where there was no wind.

末後接得一箇門人、又却六根不具。

In his last years he induced enlightenment in his disciple, who, to make matters worse, was defective in the six roots.

□。謝三郎不識四字。

Why, Shasanro did not know four ideographs. ⁶

 

Mumon's Verse 頌曰

西來直指 Coming east, directly pointing,

事因囑起 You entrusted the Dharma, and trouble arose;

撓聒叢林 The clamor of the monasteries ⁷

元來是□ Is all because of you.

 

[source:sacred-texts.com]

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Wandering Ronin commentary and questions:

1. What reason would Bodhidharma have to face a wall, especially for nine years?

2. Who in the world can do such a thing for you? Why seek a master where none are to be found?

3. A fool's errand, but still a worthy challenge.

4. Who can grasp everything in the universe all at once?

5. The art of finding peace in the middle of the battle; what resounding silence...

6. It seems that even an illiterate fisherman can be more than a match for a scholar. How embarrassing!

7. So much wasted effort, when the twirl of a flower should suffice.

Submitted November 07, 2018 at 09:02PM by WanderingRonin77 https://ift.tt/2PkzdkI