Sunday, 17 May 2020

Practicing Zen with Wumenguan: Case 3 - Juzhi's Finger

https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/mumonkan.htm

Mumon's Comment

無門曰、倶胝並童子悟處、不在指頭上。

The enlightenment of Gutei and of the boy does not depend on the finger.

若向者裏見得、天龍同倶胝並童子興自己一串穿却。 

If you understand this, Tenryû, Gutei, the boy, and you yourself are all run through with one skewer.

Mumon's Verse 頌曰

倶胝鈍置老天龍 Gutei made a fool of old Tenryû,

利刃單提勘小童 Emancipating the boy with a single slice,

巨靈擡手無多子 Just as Julin cleaved Mount Hua

分破華山千万重 To let the Yellow River run through.

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(Welcome link) (ewkwho?) note: The problem that comes up in conversations about studying and practicing Zen is that people want directions... they want to know what to do, specifically, as if there was no being in love, there was only making kool aid by mixing the same ingredients the same way, over and over. Religions offer people that simplistic view of redemption... do x, get y.

Wumen doesn't appear to be interested.

First, notice that Wumen says "if you understand"... but, what if you don't? What should you practice so that you'll understand?

I think the main... skewer... of this practice instruction in this Case is the first line of his poem... Juzhi Gutei made a fool of Tianlong Tenryu by teaching one finger Zen. Tianlong was an heir of an heir of Mazu.

Tianlong show Juzhi this One Finger Zen, and Juzhi cuts off a boy's finger, oh, look, the boy can never teach one finger Zen. What was the boy freed from? Well, for starters, he is freed from ever teaching One Finger Zen. And this freeing allows... let's say the river of Zen wisdom... to run through the boy.

Cut off the teachings, and wisdom runs through you.

Piece of cake.

All you have to do is make fools of Zen Masters.

Let the practice begin!



Submitted May 17, 2020 at 04:44PM by ewk https://ift.tt/2Zij56G

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