Joshu's Great Death question

The 41'st case in the BCR (Cleary)

Chao Chou asked T'ou Tzu, "How is it when a man who has died the great death returns to life?" T'ou Tzu said, "He must not go by night; he must get there in daylight."

OP: Hsueh Tou knows his shit i might add ... he versed 4 lines and the third was:

Even the Ancient Buddhas (Sakyamuny included), they say, have never arrived. Even the thousand sages haven't transmitted it. I don't know either.

At a first glance -> Pure Gibberish, right?

Wrong. This packs more meaning then the mind can spot. So first, Joshu is giving a test question ... a thief testing out another proven thief (i might be wrong but i read somewhere that this was the first personal encounter between the two) ... so test away.

Joshu is asking about the Great Death - dying aware and fully conscious as it happens will grant a Great Life in exchange ... but actually Joshu is asking about Returning back to life after this Great Death to which Tzu replied like a boss - don't die with eyes shut , open them before the moment of death (he must get there in daylight). Dying unaware is the Small Death, the normal stuff that happens in most cases. These are just 2 kinds of mentions- Small Death/Great Death... but what Joshu is Really asking with this poisonous question is about The Greatest Death , the one of No Return ... the one that goes beyond birth and death from which there is no return, thus nor Buddha nor Boddhidharma could ever speak about it

Even the Ancient Buddhas, they say, have never arrived.

It's like Joshu created a precedent by making up a known question but adding spice to it. First of all, Tzu can't know as he was still living when answering, so he did his part masterfully ... is this 'third' distinction of the Greatest Death mentioned in other books, teachings etc? I read that Buddha was also inquired upon it and refused to share any knowledge about it as It didn't happen yet to him.

Anyway - every case is a good case :)

Edit : Mahavira is One who gets called out on having died the Greatest Death - don't know much about hindu or jainism so maybe this is off.

Submitted May 26, 2020 at 03:06PM by robeewankenobee https://ift.tt/3ee3CZI