Yunmen asks about the meaning of the teachings -> Officials end up at fault.

In the Thirty-third Case from the BCR - Cleary, Ministry President Ch'en Sees Tzu Fu, the comment section of Yuanwu mentions about another meeting between Ministry President Ch'en Ts'ao and Yunmen. Both are meaningful but the one with Yunmen does burn a bit after consumption.

Apparently Ch'en Ts'ao was a contemporary of P'ei Hsiu and Li Ao, both layman's and Ch'an adepts as P'ei Hsiu was a student of Huangbo and Li Ao of Yaoshan. So the man was pretty schooled regarding Ch'an. He would invite monks for a meal at his place and offer them 300 cash money to test them out...

One day Yunmen came; seeing him, Ch'en Ts'ao immediately asked, "I do not ask about what is in the Confucian books, and the twelve part teachings of the three vehicles have their own professors: what is the purpose of a patchrobed monk's journey on foot?" Yun Men said, "How many people have you asked?" Ts'ao said, "I am asking you right now." Yun Men said, "Leaving aside 'right now' for the moment, what is the meaning of the teachings?" Ts'ao said, "Yellow scrolls on red rollers." Yun Men said, "These are written words and letters: what is the meaning of the teachings?" Ts'ao said, "When the mouth wishes to speak of it, words flee; when the mind seeks affinity with it, thought vanishes." Yun Men said, " 'When the mouth wishes to speak of it, words flee' ... is to refer to maintaining verbalization; 'when the mind seeks affinity with it, thought vanishes.' ... is to refer to false conceptualisation. What is the meaning of the teachings?" Ts'ao was speechless. Yun Men said, "I have heard it said that you read the - Lotus of Thruth - scripture; is it true or not?" Ts'ao said, "True". Yun Men said, "In that scripture it is said that all livelihood and productive labour are not contrary to the characteristics of reality. But tell me, in the heaven that is beyond thought and thoughtlessness (1), right now how many people fall back from that position?" (2) Ts'ao again was speechless. Yun Men said, "Do not be so careless. A real monk abandons the 'three scriptures and five discourses' to enter a monastery; after ten or twenty years, he still can do nothing himself. So how could you, ministry president, be able to understand?" Ts'ao bowed and said, "I am at fault."

(1) - neither perception nor non-perception

(2) - according to the Lotus Scripture, five thousand monks and nuns who thought they had attained Nirvana got up and left when the Buddha began to preach the Lotus. They represent the lesser vehicle, whose devotees abide in detachment, without being able to detach from Detachment itself.

OP - So the guy definitely not a fool, dodged somewhat like an officially manifested persona the first two attempts of Yun Men asking him straight up to describe that what he pretends 'now and then' to pull on others ... with a small reminder ... Zen doesn't come for free and it costs nothing at the same time.

I guess it just sounded like a mention. Have a good day ya'll.

Submitted May 09, 2020 at 06:26PM by robeewankenobee https://ift.tt/2AdM2Xb