Case
A monk asked Baizhang, "What is the matter of extraordinary wonder?"
Baizhang said, "Sitting alone on Daxiong Peak!" ["the Peak of Great Valor" or "this Great Sublime Peak"]
The monk made a deep bow. Baizhang thereupon hit him.
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Xuedou's Verse
Across the patriarch's field went galloping
The heavenly horse, Mazu's successor,
Different, however, in way of teaching,
In holding fast and letting go.
His actions were quick as lightining,
Always fitting.
The monk came to tweak the tiger's whiskers,
But his efforts made him a laughingstock.
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Yuanwu's Comment
Baizhang was ordinarily like a tiger with wings. Nor does this monk shun birth and death: he dares to grab the tiger's whiskers and asks, "What's th extraordinary affair?" This monk too has eyes. Baizhang immediately took up the burden with him saying, "Sitting alone on Daxiong Mountain." The monk then bowed. Patchrobed monks must be able to discern the meaning before the question.
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Hotetsu's Verse
Behold the special! So ordinary.
Behold the ordinary! Sublimely special.
Sitting alone leads to bowing.
Bowing leads to receiving blows.
This ordinary is extraordinary precisely because there is no extra.
Submitted August 21, 2020 at 11:53PM by forgothebeat https://ift.tt/2QgQxFb
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