Wrong

Blue Cliff Record: 98th Case

T’ien P’ing’s Travels on Foot

An excerpt from the commentary of the case:

T'ien P'ing had once called on the Master of Chin Shan. Because he had gone to various places and attained this tumip-Ch'an and put it in his belly, everywhere he went he scornfully opened his big mouth and said, "I understand Ch'an, I understand the Way." He always said, "Do not say you under­stand the Buddhist Teaching; I cannot find even a single man who can quote a saying." His stinking breath affected others, and he only indulged in scorn and contempt.

Before the Buddha had appeared in the world, before the Patriarch had come from the West, before there were questions and answers, before there were public cases, was there any Ch'an Way? The Ancients could not avoid imparting teachings according to potentialities; people later called them "public cases." As the World Honored One raised a flower, Kasyapa smiled; later on, Ananda asked Kasyapa, "The World Honored One handed on his golden-sleeved robe; what special teaching did he transmit to you besides?" Kasyapa said, "Ananda!" Ananda responded; Kasyapa said, "Take down the flagpole in front of the monastery gate." But before the flower was raised, before Ananda had asked, where do you find any public cases? You just accept the winter melon seals of various places, and once the seal is set, you then immediately say, "I understand the marvel of the Buddhist Teaching! Don't let anyone know!"

T'ien P'ing was just like this: when Hsi Yuan called him to come and then said, "Wrong!" twice in a row, right away he was confused and bewildered, unable to give any explanations; he "neither got to the village nor reached the shop." Some say that to speak of the meaning of the coming from the West is already wrong; they are far from knowing what these two wrongs of Hsi Yuan ultimately come down to. You people tell me, what do they come down to? This is why it is said, "He studies the living word, not the dead word." When T'ien P'ing raised his head, he had already fallen into two and three. Hsi Yuan said, "Wrong." But (T'ien P'ing) did not grasp his straightforward action, but just said, "I have a bellyful of Ch'an," and didn't pay any attention to him, and went two or three steps. Hsi Yuan again said, "Wrong!" But T'ien P'ing was as muddled as before, and approached Hsi Yuan. Yuan said, "The two wrongs just now; were they my wrongs or your wrongs?" T'ien P'ing said, "My wrongs." Fortunately, there is no connection. Already he had fallen into seventh and eighth place. Hsi Yuan said, "Just stay here for the summer and wait for me to discuss these two wrongs with you." T'ien P'ing immediately went away. He seemed to be right, but wasn't really. Then again, I don't say he wasn't right; it's just that he couldn't catch up. Nevertheless, he still had something of the air of a patchrobed monk.

When T'ien P'ing later was dwelling in a temple, he said to his community, "When I was first travelling on foot, I was blown by the wind of events to Master Ssu Ming's place. Twice he said 'Wrong!' and tried to have me pass the summer there to wait for him to deliberate with me. I did not say it was wrong then; when I set out for the South, I already knew that it was wrong." This old fellow has said quite a bit; it's just that he's fallen into seventh and eighth place, shaking his head thinking, out of touch. When people these days hear him saying, "When I set out for the South, I already knew that it was wrong," they immediately go figuring it out and say, "Before even going on foot travels, there is naturally not so much Buddhism or Ch'an; and when you go foot travelling, you are completely fooled by people everywhere. Even before foot travels, you can't call earth sky or call mountains rivers; fortunately there is nothing to be concerned about at all." If you all entertain such common vulgar views, why not buy a bandanna to wear and pass your time in the boss's house? What is the use? Buddha's teaching is not this principle. If you discuss this matter, how could there be so many complications? If you say, "I understand, others do not understand," carrying a bundle of Ch'an around the coun­try, when you are tried out by clear-eyed people, you won't be able to use it at all. Hsueh Tau versifies in exactly this way:

VERSE

Followers of the Ch'an house The lacquer buckets all have their crimes listed on the same indictment.

Like to be scornful.· Still there are some (who are otherwise). Those who scold Buddhas and revile Patriarchs are as plentiful as hemp and millet.

Having studied till their bellies are full, they cannot put it to use. It would be best to have use. A square peg does not fit in a round hole. You are a fellow student of theirs.

How lamentable, laughable old T'ien P'ing; No patchrobed monk in the world can leap out. He doesn't fear that bystanders may frown. Still he's gotten people to foolishly fret.

After all he says at the outset it was regrettable to go travel on foot. He was already wrong before he had gone travelling. Wearing out sandals, what is the use? He blots it out with one brush stroke.

Wrong, wrong! What is this? Hsueh Tau has already wrongly named it.

Hsi Yuan's pure wind suddenly melts him. Where is Hsi Yuan? What is it like? Do not speak only of Hsi Yuan; even the Buddhas of past, present, and future and the old masters everywhere also must fall back three thousand miles. If you can understand here, you may travel freely anywhere.

PROSE

(Hsueh Tau) also said, "Suppose there is suddenly a patchrobed monk who comes out and says, 'Wrong'1 how does Hsueh Tau's wrong compare to T'ien P'ing's wrong? "2

Notes to Prose

1. The crimes are listed on the same indictment. He's still gotten somewhere.

2. Hsi Yuan again appears in the world. He settles the case according to the facts. Totally irrelevant. But tell me, after all, how is it? Striking, I say "Wrong!"

More Commentary:

"Followers of the Ch'an house like to be scornful; having studied till their bellies are full, they can't put it to use." This fellow understood, as far as understanding goes; it's just that he couldn't use it. He always gazed at the cloudy sky and said he understood so much Ch'an; but when he was heated a little in the fireplace, it turned out that he couldn't use it at all. My late Master Wu Tsu said, "There is a kind of person who studies Ch'an like stuffing cakes in a crystal pitcher; it can't be turned over any more, it can't be cleaned out, and if you bump it, it immediately breaks. If you want to be lively and active, just study 'leather bag' Ch'an: even if you smash it down from the highest mountain, it still won't break, it won't burst." An An­ cient said, "Even if you can grasp it before it is spoken, this is still remaining in the shell, wandering within limitation; even if you can thoroughly penetrate upon hearing a phrase, you still won't avoid crazy views on the way."

"How lamentable, laughable old T'ien P'ing; after all he says it was regrettable at the outset to go travelling." Hsueh Tau is saying that it's lamentable that he couldn't explain to others; it's laughable that he understood a bellyful of Ch'an but couldn't go on to make even the slightest use of it. "Wrong, wrong!" Some say that T'ien P'ing didn't understand, and thus was wrong; and some say his not speaking was wrong. But what connection is there? They hardly realize that these two "wrong"s are like stone struck sparks, like flashing lightning; this is where those transcendent people tread, like using a sword to kill people, immediately grabbing people's throats, whereupon their root of life is severed. If you can travel on the sword's edge, then you will be free in all ways. If you can understand these two "wrong"s, then you can thereby see Hsi Yuan's pure wind suddenly melting (T'ien P'ing). When Hsueh Tou had finished quoting this story in the hall, he meant to say "wrong." I ask you, how does this wrong of Hsueh Tou com­ pare to T'ien P'ing's wrong? Study for thirty more years.

Submitted October 23, 2019 at 06:18PM by ArgesAwoken https://ift.tt/31F4lfV