The Real Shobogenzo: What's that now? Speak up!

Dahui's Real Original, the First Shobogenzo:

Part 1: Yaoshan goes to see Shitou, gets confused

340) Yaoshan asked Shitou, “I have a rough knowledge of the twelve part teachings of the three vehicles; I’ve heard that in the South they point directly to people’s mind to see its essential nature and realize buddhahood. I really do not understand, and humbly hope for your compassion and guidance.” Shitou said, “’Thus’ won’t do, ‘not thus’ won’t do either; ‘thus and not thus’ won’t do at all. What about you?” Yaoshan stood there thinking. Shitou said, “Your affinity is not here. In Jiangxi there is a great master Ma; go there, and he should explain for you.”

Part 2: Yaoshan goes to see Mazu

When he got there, he posed the same question as before. Ancestor Ma said, “Sometimes I have him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes; sometimes I don’t have him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes. Sometimes having him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes is right, sometimes having him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes is is not right.” At this, Yaoshan had insight. He thereupon bowed. Ancestor Ma said, “What principle have you seen?” Yaoshan said, “When I was at Shitou’s, I was like a mosquito on an iron ox.” Ancestor Ma said, “Now that you are like this, you should keep it well.”

Part 3: Mazu tells Yaoshan to build an ark

One day Ma said, “How are you these days?” Yaoshan said, “Skin shed completely, only true reality remains.” Ma said, “Your attainment can be said to accord with the essence of mind and pervade your four limbs. Since you are capable of being like this, gird your belly with three strips of bamboo skin, and go dwell on a mountain wherever you are.” He said, “Who am I to presume to speak of dwelling on a mountain?” Ma said, “It’s not like that. There’s no going forever without staying, and no staying forever without going. If you want to help, yet no one’s helped; and if you want to act, nothing gets done. You should be an ark; don’t stay here forever.” With this, Yaoshan respectfully took his leave and went back to Shitou.

Part 4: Yaoshan gets a poem out of an ox

One day as he was sitting, Shitou came, saw him, and asked, “What are you doing here?” He said, “I’m not doing anything at all.” Shitou said, “Then you’re sitting idly.” He said, “If I were sitting idly, that would be doing something.” Shitou said, “You say you’re not doing—not doing what?” He said, “Even a thousand sages do not know.”

Shitou then composed a verse:

All along living together,

I don’t know his name.

Even the lofty sages since antiquity don’t know—

How can the hasty common type understand?

Part 5: Dahui explains everything

Dahui said, “Goods are real value; money is variable.”

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(Welcome link;) ...Meet ewk link; Note: You aren't getting that ten minutes of your life back... What is a mosquito doing on an iron ox? Where is the confusion? Is doing nothing really doing something? Is this Case about sitting meditation? When somebody doesn't know what they are doing, how do they teach that?

Submitted January 05, 2020 at 05:26AM by ewk https://ift.tt/2Fkb8TF