Speaking Words

The Sayings of Layman Pang, #24:

One day, P’u-chi asked the Layman, “In former days and in present times, there have been very few people who have been able to refrain from talking about it. Right now, can the old man refrain from it?”
The Layman responded with a deep sigh.
P’u-chi repeated the question and the Layman said, “I just told you.”
P’u-chi repeated the question again and the Layman said, “I just told you.”
P’u-chi said, “Not only right now, but in former times, people have said as much.”
The Layman did a little dance and left.
P’u-chi said, “Such craziness is of our own creation, but is there anyone who can get the point of it?”

Where is the point?

A sigh can express many things...exasperation, melancholy, surrender...why does it here express refrain? I don't think I know.

"I just told you" is a hell of a refrain.

In these games of expression we play, the contrivance of meaning is a hard thing to avoid. What do we look for in expression? Does how we look define what we see? Both the question and the answer are of our own creation. But that's not the point.

Submitted February 23, 2023 at 03:02AM by patchrobe https://ift.tt/PUak4t7