Nansen kills the cat//Balance

The Case

Once the monks of the Western and Eastern Halls were arguing about a cat. Nansen, holding up the cat, said, “You monks! If you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. Otherwise I will kill it.” No one could answer, so Nansen cut the cat in two. That evening, when Joshu returned, Nansen told him of the incident. Joshu thereupon took off his sandal, put it on his head, and walked off. Nansen said, “If you had been there, the cat would have been saved!”

The Commentary

Just say, what is the real meaning of Joshu’s putting his sandal on his head? If you can give a turning word on this point, you will see that Nansen’s action was not in vain. But if not, beware!

The Verse

Had Joshu only been there,

he would have taken charge.

He would have snatched away the sword,

and Nansen would have begged for his life.

AskingRddit Comments

The dichotomy Nansen is elucidating is of reality(Moon) and thoughts(finger). When the monks naturally begin to intellectualize(finger) for the solution, Joshu catches Nansen's trick(of asking to see reality with the discriminating mind or framing the question in a way that requires one to look in a place where they will never see it) and demonstrates(Moon) in order to provide a solution to Nansen's trick question. He balances a pair of sandals on his head in good measure to clarify that he embodies Zen otherwise the sandals would fall to the ground wouldn't they? He would also imaginably zig and zag according to the path before him as he pays attention to what comes before him. And this would require a continuous tuning in as this would be the only way to know what to do at that moment(whether to zig or zag or slow down etc). Like so, killing can also be seen as a zigging or zagging in the path, something that is situational; just as we eat when hungry, drink when thirsty, we kill for the things we love. Though Zen sees all things moving as One without distinction, no rules or commandments such as "do not kill" can be prescribed as its justification varies based on what is happening now; the present which is ever changing yet remaining the same.

Submitted January 15, 2020 at 08:16AM by AskingRddit https://ift.tt/36TswdP