Te Shan Carrying His Bundle

Blue Cliff Record: Case IV

When Te Shan arrived at Kuei Shan, he carried his bundle with him into the teaching hall, where he crossed from east to west and from west to east. He looked around and said, "There's nothing, no one." Then he went out.

Hsueh Tou added the comment, "Completely exposed." But when Te Shan got to the monastery gate, he said, "Still, I shouldn't be so coarse." So he reentered (the hall) with full ceremony to meet (Kuei Shan). As Kuei Shan sat there, Te Shan held up his sitting mat and said, "Teacher!" Kuei Shan reached for his whisk, whereupon Te Shan shouted, shook out his sleeves, and left.

Hsueh Tou added the comment, "Completely exposed."

Te Shan turned his back on the teaching hall, put on his straw sandals, and departed. That evening Kuei Shan asked the head monk, "Where is that newcomer who just came?" The head monk answered, "At that time he turned his back on the teaching hall, put on his straw sandals, and departed."

Kuei Shan said, "Hereafter that lad will go to the summit of a solitary peak, build himself a grass hut, and go on scolding the Buddhas and reviling the Patriarchs."

Hsueh Tou added the comment, "He adds frost to snow."

Teshan knows how to look like a fool while being a complete badass. Yuanwu calls them "the board-carrying fellow [someone whose vision being obstructed by the burden], the wild fox spirit! [someone who guilty of being clever]" Teshan walks in, walks around in some symbolic way, and says, "There's nothing, no one" and leaves. Yuanwu comments:

He deserves thirty blows of the staff. Indeed his spirit reaches the heavens. A real lion cub can roar the lion's roar.

But Yuanwu also says:

Wasn't he crazy?...See how extraordinary that Te Shan was; this is why it is said, "To stand out from the crowd, you must be a brave spirited fellow; to defeat enemies is a matter for a lion's son. If you try to become Buddha without an eye like this, how will you ever do it, even in a thousand years?"

What are we to make of this foolish courage?

Yuanwu comments on the Kuei Shan:

This old fellow Kuei Shan still was not taken in by that (Te Shan) anyone but Kuei Shan would have been crushed by him. Look at how the old adept Kuei Shan meets him; he just sits there and observes the outcome. If he did not profoundly discern the 'oncoming wind,' how could he have been like this?

The old man is settled and steady. Afterwards, Teshan thinks to reform his idiotic behaviour, and challenges Kuei Shan to be his teacher, and Kuei Shan accepts! Bluff called, Teshan is exposed for a foolish lion cub, and Kuei Shan is exposed for an old bear. Teshan runs out of there, shaking their sleeves and shouting like a Zen Master and thinking they are being clever. Yuanwu calls them outstanding.

Kuei Shan was not flustered at all. This is why it is said, "One whose wisdom surpasses a bird's can catch a bird, one whose wisdom surpasses an animal's can catch an animal, and one whose wisdom surpasses a man's can catch a man." When one is immersed in this kind of Ch'an, even if the multitude of appearances and myriad forms, heavens and hells, and all the plants, animals, and people, all were to shout at once, he still wouldn't be bothered; even if someone overthrew his meditation seat and scattered his congregation with shouts, he wouldn't give it any notice.

Every Xuedou's "Completely exposed" is met with Yuanwu's "Wrong. After all. Check!" Yuanwu wants us to see what they see; an idiot pretending to be a Zen Master, but also firebrand with the courage to pull down golden Buddha's from where they sit and shatter them across the grass. This is why their comment on Teshan's decision to go out and destroy the Zen devils in the south is "You see from how aroused he got, what a fierce, keen fellow he was."

"He adds frost to snow" can now be taken in two ways. Do you see?

Verse

One "completely exposed"/"Adding frost to snow" -(Te Shan) has had a dangerous fall./The General of the Flying Cavalry enters the enemy camp;/How many could regain their safety?/(Te Shan) hurriedly runs past-/(But Kuei Shan) doesn't let him go./On the summit of the solitary peak, he sits among the weeds;/Bah!

Yuanwu says "It is easy to distinguish dragons from snakes; it is hard to fool a patchrobed monk." I am going to let them speak at length because it is truly outstanding.

The first three lines refer to famous Archer who was boldly captured, and boldly escaped. Yuanwu explains:

This fellow had the ability to wrest life from the midst of death; Hsueh Tou alludes to this in the verse to make a comparison with Te Shan, who re-entered (the teaching hall) to meet (Kuei Shan), and was able to leap out again, as before.

Look at how that Ancient (Te Shan) sees all the way, speaks all the way, acts all the way, and functions all the way; he's undeniably a brave spirit. Only if you possess the ability to kill a man without blinking an eye can you then become Buddha right where you stand. Someone who can fulfill Buddhahood right where he stands naturally kills people without blinking an eye; thus he has his share of freedom and independence.

I see this in myself and am afraid; of what I might lose; of the damage I might cause. Teshan is braver than I. At least I am not wild fox spirit.

When some people these days are questioned, at first they seem to have the qualities of a patchrobed monk, but when they're pressed even slightly, their waists snap and their legs break; they come all to pieces. They totally lack the slightest continuity. That is why an Ancient said, "Continuity is indeed very difficult." Look at how Te Shan and Kuei Shan acted; were theirs stammering, halting views?

This I find easier to practice. Still a work in progress, but less concepts to cut up. I've heard of ZMs having continuity for decades.

At this point, why does Hsueh Tau say, "On the summit of the solitary peak, he sits among the weeds," and then add an exclamation? Tell me, what does this come down to? Study for thirty more years!

"He adds frost to snow" can now be taken in two ways. Do you see?! Speak! If you can't, you're already dead!

Submitted September 03, 2020 at 03:53AM by surupamaerl https://ift.tt/2Z0sxuA