The Gateless Gate: Even if your eloquence flows like a river, it is of no avail.

The Gateless Gate: Kyõgen's "Man up in a Tree" [5th Case]

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Kyõgen Oshõ said, "It is like a man up in a tree hanging from a branch with his mouth; his hands grasp no bough, his feet rest on no limb.

Someone appears under the tree and asks him, 'What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?' If he does not answer, he fails to respond to the question. If he does answer, he will lose his life.

What would you do in such a situation?"

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Mumon's Comment

Even if your eloquence flows like a river, it is of no avail.

Though you can expound the whole of Buddhist literature, it is of no use.

If you solve this problem, you will give life to the way that has been dead until this moment and destroy the way that has been alive up to now.

Otherwise you must wait for Maitreya Buddha and ask him.

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Mumon's Verse

Kyõgen is truly thoughtless;

His vice and poison are endless.

He stops up the mouths of the monks,

And devil's eyes sprout from their bodies.

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Commentary: Come along, everyone; it is time to discuss the nature of error in the myriad things. The very existence of this case is in error by someone having recorded it in the first place... look at the problems it causes: Kyõgen Oshõ said something completely ridiculous, and here we are reasoning about it a thousand years later. That is making waves where there are none; are you caught up and swept away in Kyõgen's troubles?

And did you attempt to solve this case by answering it in some way? That is an egregious error. Are you still attempting to learn or practice Zen? That is in error as well. I'm even in error for even bringing this entire matter up to begin with. You will be in error if you say a single thing in the comments, and you will also be in error for not speaking at all. What is the nature of the mind? What is the nature of the rain? Do you see the error in finding errors anywhere? And before you conclude that I'm pointing out that there are no errors whatsoever and that all is perfection, that is in error as well.

Submitted November 09, 2019 at 08:19PM by WanderingRoninXIII https://ift.tt/2WXXAVL