The most serious question of all

Here are three translations of Wumen's verse on the first case of the Gateless Gate, with the addition of a Google Translate output for the Hanzi.

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狗子佛性 The dog, the Buddha Nature,

全提正令 The pronouncement, perfect and final.

纔渉有無 Before you say it has or has not,

喪身失命 You are a dead man on the spot.

^{Gateless Gate, Case 1, Wumen's verse translated by Sasaki}

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狗子佛性 The dog! The Buddha-Nature!

全提正令 The perfect manifestation, the command of truth.

纔渉有無 If, for a moment, you fall into relativity,

喪身失命 You are a dead man!

^{Gateless Gate, Case 1, Wumen's verse translated by Blyth}

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狗子佛性 Has a dog Buddha-nature?

全提正令 This is the most serious question of all.

纔渉有無 If you say yes or no,

喪身失命 You lose your own Buddha-nature.

^{Gateless Gate, Case 1, Wumen's verse translated by Senzaki & Reps}

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狗子佛性 Dog Buddha nature

全提正令 Full mention order

纔渉有無 Is there any / Only presence or absence

喪身失命 Lose one's life

^{Google Translate}

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Is this a case about the presence of enlightenment in canines?

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An ancient said, “Everywhere is you.

Go east, and it’s you;

go west, and it’s you.

Who are you?”

^{Cited in Foyan, Instant Zen}

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How about when I meet a dog? Am I the dog?

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You do not realize that as soon as you aim your mind

you’re already a generation too late!

^{Foyan, Instant Zen}

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As I distinguish between the dog and myself, I fall dead on the spot.

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But what happens to the dog?

Submitted October 10, 2020 at 08:10AM by Coinionaire https://ift.tt/3jOdoVx