Zen Master Moshan Liaoran of Ruizhou [who was abbess of her own temple] was a Dharma heir of Gao’an Day (ca. 800). One day the monk Guanxi Xian arrived at Mt. Mo, where Moshan taught, and said, “If there’s someone here who’s worthy, I’ll stay here. If not, I’ll overturn the meditation platform!”
He then entered the hall.
Moshan sent her attendant to query the visitor, saying, “Your Reverence, are you here sightseeing, or have you come seeking the Buddhadharma?”
“I seek the Dharma.”
So Moshan sat upon the Dharma seat [in the audience room] and Xian entered for an interview.
Moshan said, “Your Reverence, where have you come from today?”
Guanxi said, “From the road’s mouth [an undefiled place].”
Moshan said, “Why don’t you cover it [that mouth].”
Guanxi didn’t answer for some time. Finally he asked, “What about Mt. Mo [Moshan]?”
Moshan said, “The peak isn’t revealed.”
Guanxi asked, “Who is the master of Mt. Mo?”
Moshan said, “Without the form of man or woman.”
Guanxi shouted, then said, “Why can’t it transform itself [become a man]?”
Moshan said, “It’s not a god or demon [wild fox spirit]. So how could it become something else?”
Guanxi then submitted to become Moshan’s student. He worked as head gardener for three years.
Commentary from Grace Schireson, in her book Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens, and Macho Masters (p. 12-13):
For the first time in the history of Zen we encounter a full-fledged female teacher, teaching a man at her own temple. There is little to explain how this happened; we do understand, through Guanxi’s challenge to her authority, that her status was unusual. Moshan, head of a temple, surrounded by her students and monastic formalities such as ascending the platform in the Dharma hall to meet Guanxi, was apparently able to teach both male and female practitioners in her temple. This is a flagrant infraction of the Eight Special Rules. Through her skillful Zen words she asserted her authority and simultaneously revealed Guanxi’s arrogance. Cleverly connecting the road to the person before her, she pointed out his (big) mouth: “Why don’t you cover it?” Or, why are you so crude? By criticizing, and indeed teaching, a male monk, she was also in violation of the Eight Special Rules. After all, if she couldn’t correct male students, how could she point out their mistaken views?
In response to Moshan’s verbal slap, Guanxi paused and redirected his questioning to Moshan in her role as Mt. Mo—as the abbess and therefore the personification of the mountain and peak of the temple. “If I am crude by opening my mouth,” he asked, “how do you express yourself?” She answered: “The peak is not revealed.” Or, “I am not pointing to myself, my position, or my ability. To understand the peak, the essence of my teaching, you need to penetrate your own confusion, and whatever has covered this peak from your view. I have no need to show off to you, to point to this, the peak, but you may uncover my teaching by seeing through you own delusions.”
This must not have been the first time Moshan had been challenged because of her gender; she skillfully uncovered Guanxi’s sexist attitude, and his sticking to his view that he would be the judge of her skill. There was something arrogant in his approach and it was Moshan’s job to help him see through it. Suspecting a lurking sexist attitude, she had put forth a preemptive strike and stated that what she was teaching was “without the form of man or woman.” She confronted Guanxi’s challenge to her teaching based on her suspicion that he would question her authority because she was a woman, and she positioned herself to address his concern.
Jungle_Toad’s commentary:
[covers mouth]
Submitted October 24, 2019 at 01:36AM by jungle_toad https://ift.tt/2BBCkv5
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