What’s the Difference?

From Foyan’s Zen Lecture, Approval, p. 67, Cleary translation:

Have you not heard it said that once you realize, then there’s a difference? Yesterday one had breakfast and dinner, today one has breakfast and dinner—is it the same person as before? There’s a difference; it’s not the same. Zhaozhou said to someone, “Have you had breakfast yet?” He said, “Yes.” Zhaozhou said, “Go wash the dishes.” This is different.

Do you suppose I am an ordinary man? You tell me where the difference is.

Note: I have seen myself as the same person all of my life despite the many changes that have taken place in this life; so I don’t understand this difference Foyan speaks of—nor do I understand the relation of the Joshu reference to this difference. It seems to me like after saying “breakfast”, Foyan just associatively recalled the ‘breakfast/dishes story’; the two seem unrelated. Then he ends with a question to test us...

Well is he ordinary or not; and where’s the difference?

Submitted January 29, 2019 at 06:48PM by kaneckt http://bit.ly/2DG1muZ