Following the Bird Path

A monk said, "The Master normally tells us to follow the bird path. I wonder what the bird path is?"

"One does not encounter a single person," replied the Master.

"How does one follow such a path?" asked the monk.

"One should go without hemp sandals on one's feet," replied the Master.

"If one follows the bird path, isn't that seeing one's original face?" said the monk.

"Why do you turn things upside down so?" asked the Master.

"But where have I turned things upside down?" asked the monk.

"If you haven't turned things upside down, then why do you regard the slave as master?" said the Master.

"What is one's original face?" asked the monk.

"Not to follow the bird path," responded the Master.

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Following the bird path doesn't result in & doesn't correspond with seeing the original face. It's a path that can't be pinned down and isn't charted out.

Really quite precipitous stuff here; if you say you've taken the precepts but gloss this case over, you're deceiving not only yourself but the whole community. How could anyone publicly list 'interested in Zen' in their tinder-bio if this stuff makes them shut up??

That's only slightly less embarrassing than the frauds coming in here insisting they, their guru, or their lineage was full of Zen Masters but can't answer about the path they were taught....awks.

Zen Masters are famed for being like iron walls extending a thousand feet into the sky, but when you're following the bird path...how is that an obstacle?

Also, what about not following the bird path?

Submitted August 19, 2020 at 06:34AM by ThatKir https://ift.tt/3g6Ce0t