The Dialogue of Manjusri and Wu Cho

When Wu Cho was visiting Mt. Wu T'ai, when he came to a place on the way where it was wild and rough, Manjusri pro­duced a temple to take him in for the night. So he asked, “Where have you just come from?” Wu Cho said, "The South." Manjusri said, "How is the Buddhist Teaching being carried on in the South?" Wu Cho said, “Monks of the Last Age have little regard for the rules of discipline." Manjusri said, "How numerous are the congregations?" Wu Cho said, "Some three hundred, some five hundred." Wu Cho asked Manjusri, "How is it being carried on here-abouts?" Manjusri said, "Ordinary people and sages dwell together; dragons and snakes intermingle." Wu Cho said, "How numerous are the congregations?" Manjusri said, "In front, three by three; in back, three by three."

~

This is an excerpt from the 35th case and its commentary in the Blue Cliff Record. It’s actually one of my favorite cases, as it were. So how many is three by three? There is also this:

Then they drank tea; Manjusri held up a crystal bowl and asked, "Do they also have this in the South?" Cho said, "No." Manjusri said, "What do they usually use to drink tea?" Cho was speechless. After all he took his leave and departed. Man­jusri ordered Ch'un T'i the servant boy to see him to the gate. When they got to the portals of the gate, Wu Cho asked the boy, "Before, he said, 'In front three by three; in back, three by three'; how many is this?" The boy said, "Oh Worthy!" Cho responded, "Yes?" The boy said, "How many is this?" Cho also asked, "What temple is this?" The boy pointed beyond the Vajrasattva; when Cho turned his head, the illusory temple and the boy had vanished completely out of sight: it was just an empty valley. Later that place was called the Vajra (Adaman­tine) Cave.

Do you understand? Perhaps our old friend Yuanwu can provide some guidance:

If you want to penetrate the peaceful equanimity of actual truth, so that your feet tread upon the real earth, go to Wu Cho's words to get attainment; then naturally though you stay in a cauldron of hot water or the embers of a stove, still you would not feel hot, and though you stay on cold ice, neither would you feel cold. If you want to go through to use the solitary peril, the steep and sharp, like the Jewel Sword of the Diamond King, go to Manjusri's words to get attainment; then naturally water poured will not wet, and wind blowing cannot enter.

Here is the verse from Hsueh Tou ~

The thousand peaks twist and turn, the color of indigo

Who says Manjusri was conversing with him?

It is laughable, “How many the people?” On Ch’ing Liang

In front three by three, and in back three by three

Submitted April 20, 2021 at 04:13AM by InstantEuphoria https://ift.tt/3sxpbv9