The Concordant Sounds Collection of Verse Commentaries by Miaozong
Case 36: Lan’an’s Being and Nonbeing
Chan Master Shushan Guangren of Fuzhou [from Dongshan] heard that the monk Guishan Lan’an from Fuzhou instructed the assembly, saying, “‘Being’ and ‘nonbeing’ are like wisteria vines clinging to a tree.” the master went into the mountains to look for Lan’an and found him plastering a wall. He asked him, “I have heard you say that ‘being’ and ‘nonbeing’ are like wisteria vines clinging to a tree. Is this so?”
Lan’an said, “Yes, it is so.”
The master asked, “If suddenly the tree topples over and the wisteria vines wither, then where will ‘being’ and ‘nonbeing’ go to?” La’an put down his pan of mud and, laughing, returned to the abbot’s quarters.
The Master said, “I have come three thousand li and sold my clothes just to see you about this matter. How can you play around with me like this?”
Lan’an said to his attendant, “Bring two hundred silver coins and give it to this monk.” Lan’an then said to Shushan, “Later there will be a one-eyed dragon whose pointers will help you break through.”
Later Shushan heard about the monk Minzhao Dequian from Wuzhou [who was blind in one eye and famous for dharma combat], and so he went to pay him his respects. Minzhao asked him, “Where have you come from?” The Master said, “I have come from Minzhong” (Fujian province). Minazhao said, “Did you go to Lan’an’s?” The Master said, “I did.” Minzhao said, “When you went to see him, what did he say?” The Master told him what he had said. Mingzhao siad, “Lan’an” can be said to be correct at the head and correct at the tail; it is just that he has not yet met up with someone who understands him.” The Master still did not understand and again asked what would happen to the words if the tree toppled and the wisteria vines withered. Mainzhao said, “You will have made Lan’an laugh again!” When the Master heard these words, he was greatly enlightened. And so he said, “From the beginning there was a knife hidden in Lan’an’s laughter.” He then bowed deeply and acknowledged his error.
Miaozong Poem:
Being and nonbeing
LIke vines clinging to a tree.
Xunasha cracks the board;
Heshan beats the drum.
Don’t you know, sir, the saying of Xuedou?
“If you want to be a teacher of gods and men,
That which stands before you is the tiger itself.”
.
(Welcome link;) ...Meet ewk link; Note: "He has not yet met up with someone who understands him"... so tell me, did the dragon see the tiger?
Submitted January 03, 2020 at 04:09PM by ewk https://ift.tt/35kgJnp
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