Yuanwu's Flavorless Speech (Taste Test Edition)

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Which Bodhidharma got into an onion patch?

BCR Case 17: Hsiang Lin's Meaning of the Coming From the West

The monk asked, "What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?" Lin said,"Sitting for a long time becomes toilsome." This could be called flavorless words, flavorless phrases; flavorless talk blocks off people's mouths and leaves you no place to show your energy. If you would see, then just see immediately. If you don't see, it's urgent you avoid entertaining intellectual under­ standing.

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BCR Case 22:Hsueh Feng's Turtle-Nosed Snake

Since Ch'ang Ch'ing, Hsuan Sha, and Yun Men are sons of his (Hsueh Feng's) house, what they say is exactly appropriate. This is why the Ancient said, "On hearing words, you must understand the source; don't set up standards on your own." Words must have that which is beyond patterns; phrases must penetrate the bar­rier. If your words don't leave their nest of cliche, you fall into the poison sea. Hsueh Feng's teaching the assembly this way can be called flavorless talk that blocks off people's mouths. Ch'ang Ch'ing and Hsuan Sha are both men of his family, thus they under­ stand when he speaks this way.

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BCR Case 30: Chao Chou's Big Turnips

Nevertheless, Chao Chou is an adept: he immediately says to him, "Chen Chou produces big turnips." This can be called flavorless talk that blocks off people's mouths. This old fellow Chao Chou greatly resembles a thief who steals in broad daylight. As soon as you open your mouth he immediately plucks your eyes out.

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BCR Case 44: Ho Shan's Knowing How to Beat the Drum

Shan said, "Knowing how to beat the drum." This is what is called flavorless words, flavorless speech. If you want to understand this case, you must be a transcendent man. Only then will you see that these words have nothing to do with inherent nature, nor is there anything about them to discuss.

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BCR Case 58: Chao Chou Can't Explain

Chao Chou said, "Once someone asked me, and I really couldn't explain for five years." This is like "The Elephant King trumpets, the Lion roars. Flavorless talk blocks off people's mouths. South, north, east, west -the raven flies, the rabbit runs." Hsueh Tou didn't have the last word, where else would he have come from? Since "the raven flies, the rabbit runs," tell me, where do Chao Chou, Hsueh Tou, and I end up?

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I love this saying by Yuanwu. Flavorless speech.

Y'all patch-robed monks best watch out!

Submitted January 29, 2020 at 01:22PM by madewithsticks https://ift.tt/36D6POa