T'ou Tzu's All Sounds

POINTER

When his great function manifests before you it doesn't keep to patterns and rules. *He captures you alive without exerting superfluous effort.** But say, who has ever acted this way? To test I'm citing this old case: look!*

CASE

A monk asked T'ou Tzu, "All sounds are the sounds of Buddha-right or wrong? "¹

T'ou Tzu said, "Right."²

The monk said, "Teacher, doesn't your asshole make farting sounds? "³

T'ou Tzu then hit him. ⁴

Again the monk asked, "Coarse words or subtle talk, all returns to the primary meaning-right or wrong? "⁵

T'ou Tzu said, "Right."⁶

The monk said, "Can I call you an ass, Teach­er? "⁷

T'ou Tzu then hit him.⁸

NOTES

1. This monk too knows how to grab the tiger's whiskers. Crashing thunderclaps in a clear sky. He doesn't notice the bad smell of his own shit.

2. He's utterly swindling ordinary people. He's sold his body to you. He's put it over on one side. What's going on in your mind?

3. He just sees that the awl point is sharp; he doesn't see that the chisel edge is square. What is he saying? After all, he suffers defeat.

4. A hit! He should be hit-it won't do to let him go.

5. Grabbing the tiger's whiskers a second time. He's clutching the loot crying out that he's been wronged-why? East, west, south, north-the reflections and echoes are still present.

6. Again he's sold his body to you. A pitfall to trap tigers. What's going on in your mind?

7. He just sees that the awl point is sharp; he doesn't see that the chisel edge is square. Though he has waves that go against the current, yet he has no horns on his head. With a mouth full of blood, he spits out at people.

8. A hit! It won't do to let him go. He should be hit-why does T'ou Tzu stop before his staff is broken?

Notes from an Owl

No wonder this book was burned.

Submitted April 22, 2021 at 07:27PM by Owlsdoom https://ift.tt/3dLlNZD