A monk asked Zen master Wuzu Fayan, “What is one drop of Baiyun?” (Baiyun was Wuzu Fayan's teacher)
Fayan said, “Pounding. Grinding.”
The monk asked, “How about those who drink it?”
Fayan said, “I teach of a place where no face appears.”
*
A monk asked, “Baiyun cut off the tongues of everyone beneath heaven. But as for Baiyun’s tongue, who will cut it off?”
Wuzu said, “Old Wang in East Village.”
Wuzu then said, “It’s nothing other than ordinary affairs. But according to your thinking it’s something different. If you think you can understand through speech, then know you haven’t penetrated the truth. If you think you can’t understood through speech, then your head and mind are like a raging fire. So, just pass through Zhaozhou’s gate and cut off Baiyun’s tongue yourself. Don’t betray the ancient sages’ compassion.”
*
Fayan entered the hall. He recited the example of when a monk asked Baling Haojian, “Is the meaning of the ancestors and the meaning of the scriptures the same or different?” Baling said, “The cold fowl flies up into the tree. The cold duck dives into the water.”
Fayan said, “Old Baling! He only said one-half. Baiyun didn’t go along with his answer. Hold the water in your hands and possess the moon. Brush against the flowers and the fragrance fills your clothes.”
*
Wuzu addressed the monks, saying, “Yesterday when I went into town I noticed a puppet show going on. I couldn’t help going over there and taking a look. The puppet was really something to see! At first sight it seemed to move its limbs, walk around, and sit down all on its own. But when you looked closer, you could see that there was someone behind the blue curtain.
“I couldn’t help but call out, ‘Sir! What’s your name?’
“The man replied to me, ‘Honored Priest! Just watch the show. Why ask for names?’
“Brethren! When I heard him say this, I didn’t have a single word to say in reply, nor a single idea to espouse. Can any of you say anything in my place? Yesterday, that single instance of embarrassment has uprooted all my ideas now.”
*
Wuzu addressed the monks, saying, “When hearing is shallow, the realization is deep. When hearing is deep, there’s no realization. What can be done? What can be done? Making a true offering to Buddha doesn’t mean giving more incense.”
*
Fayan brought up for consideration the story of when a monk asked Yunmen, “What is the talk that is beyond the buddhas and ancestors?“
Yunmen replied, “Cake.”
Fayan said, “I don’t answer that way. If someone suddenly asks me, ‘What is the speech that is beyond the buddhas and ancestors?’ I’d just reply to him, ‘Donkey shit is like horse shit.’ Or I’d say, ‘Worn-out reed sandals.’ Or I might say, ‘The Tortoise God drags his tail.’ So now I ask you, are my answers the same or different than Yunmen’s? Consider this question.”
*
A monk asked Wuzu Fayan, “What was the meaning of Bodhidharma’s facing the wall?”
Wuzu said, “It still hasn’t been calculated.”
The monk asked, “What about when the Second Ancestor stood in the snow?”
Wuzu said, “An error is an error.”
*
A monk asked, “At the top of a hundred-foot pole, how does one go forward?”
Wuzu said, “Quick, try it and see!”
*
A monk asked, “What is the affair of the Linji school?”
Wuzu said, “Five rebels hear thunder.”
The monk asked, “What is the affair of the Yunmen school?”
Wuzu said, “The red flag is brilliant.”
The monk asked, “What is the affair of the Caodong school?”
Wuzu said, “Riding books you won’t get home.”
The monk asked, “What is the affair of the Guiyang school?”
Wuzu said, “A broken monument across the ancient road.”
The monk then bowed.
Wuzu said, “Why don’t you ask about the Fayan school?” (From the other Fayan: Fayan Wenyi (885-958), many generations prior)
The monk said, “I leave it to the master.”
Wuzu said, “A thief in the night!”
Lots of people here appreciate Foyan Qingyuan (1067-1120) and his Instant Zen: Waking Up in the Present translated by Thomas Cleary. Its nice to remember Foyan's teacher too once in a while.
Submitted May 19, 2020 at 08:19AM by rockytimber https://ift.tt/2TiFKMJ
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