Master Wuzu Yan said to an assembly, Yesterday I went into the city and saw a puppet show. I couldn’t help approaching to watch, and saw some exceptionally fine looking, others unbearably ugly. Having seen them individually moving around, walking and sitting, blue, yellow, red, and white, when I looked closely it turned out there was someone behind a blue curtain. Unable to restrain myself, I asked the puppet master’s name. He said, “Old monk, just watch—why ask for a name?” At this remark of his, I simply had no reply, no reason to give. Can anyone speak for me? Yesterday I lost my reserve over there; today I pay back the principal here.
My interpretation:
Our bodies and minds are the puppets on the string. The Puppet Master is the impercievalble Self/Buddha-Nature.
Wuzu asks for the Puppet masters name. I see this as analogous to us asking who or what out Self/Buddha-Nature is.
The Puppet Master tells him to just watch, why ask for the name? I take this answer to mean that what our self is isn't something that can be found in a name or concept. Why ask?
Instead we should watch, like Foyan suggested when he said we should "watch ourselves". Find the Self in its "hidden actions". Like Linji says in the hands it is grasping and in the eyes seeing.
Also reminds me of Mazu calling out to folks and when they turn their heads to look back in response he says "that's it!".
Submitted February 06, 2023 at 01:45AM by koancomentator https://ift.tt/An25xQg
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