One day a student asked master Yunmen, "What is the teaching of the Buddha's whole lifetime?"
The master said, "Speaking in tune with the particular occasion."
Yunmen Wenyan [864-949]
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Commentary and questions: What does this case point towards? The teaching of the Buddha's whole lifetime would have to be a treasure trove of great wisdom, but what is worldly wisdom in comparison to the Dharma? How can wisdom ever cross the Gateless Gate?
Then, the inimitable Yunmen adds creeping vine-words to the problem, speaking in tune with the particular occasion. What are these particular occasions, and why would it be the teaching of the Buddha's whole lifetime to speak in tune with them? Speaking out of tune, seeing no particular occasions, wouldn't this be in the spirit of being independent and free? Neither host nor guest, coming and going freely as one chooses; one hand up, one hand down.
Submitted October 18, 2020 at 06:04AM by __WanderingRonin__ https://ift.tt/2T2qCCi
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