Full case
Kyōgen Oshō 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?”
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.
Mumon’s verse
Kyōgen 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.
Comment
First of all, out of all questions that would pop in your mind at the sight of someone holding his own life with his teeth, why the fuck would you ask the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from India? What is the meaning of your question? Why would you even ask anything?
In this sense, failing to respond to a failed question is a success for both.
Mumon, with your open gates, it's possible to expound the Zen literature through the ages. It's of no use, however. And I thank you for it.
This case rests verseless.
Submitted January 23, 2020 at 10:38PM by felipeforte https://ift.tt/37npfnx
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