Piss & shit: a play within a play

From Instant Zen Foyan (t.Cleary trans)

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Have you not read how Yantou, Xuefeng, and Jinshan went to see Linji, then met Elder Ding on the way? Yantou asked, “ Where are you coming from?” Ding said, “ From Linji.” Yantou inquired, “ Is the teacher well?” Ding said, “ The teacher has passed away.” Yantou said, “ We came especially to pay respects to the teacher Linji, but now we hear he has passed away, and we do not know what he said. Please quote an example or two of his sayings.”

Ding then cited the foregoing story about Linji’s saying:

There is a true person of no rank in the mass of naked flesh,always going out and coming in through the doors of your senses;those who have not yet witnessed it, look!*

When a student came forward and asked what the true person of no rank is, Linji got out of his chair, grabbed the student, and said, “Speak! Speak!” When the student hesitated, trying to think up something to say, Linji pushed him away and said, “What a dry turd the true per­son of no rank is!”

Then Linji went back to his quarters.

Hearing this recital, Yantou was stunned. Jinshan remarked, “Why didn’t he say, ‘In the mass of naked flesh is not a true person of no rank’?” Ding grabbed him and said, “Tell me, how far apart are a true person of no rank and not a true person of no rank? Speak quickly!” Jinshan’s face paled, then clouded. Yantou and Xuefeng both said, “ Please forgive this novice for insulting you, Elder.” Ding remarked, “ If it hadn’t been for you two old guys, I’d have punched this little bed-wetter out!”

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Comment: re-reading some Instant Zen today, I was reminded of this little gem, a case within a case. In both instances the student choked and the master was bitterly disappointed. How are they supposed to teach ‘no rank’ in such a situation?

Moral of the story: don’t try to correct an expert when you don’t know what you’re talking about.

 💩 

Submitted October 08, 2020 at 11:40PM by mortonslast https://ift.tt/34w73Yo