The theme of this post is the continuous narrative of the zen record, the aspect of the cases that are a biography of the people involved.
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zen is personal
like a thirsty man in hell
descending the well
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One day, Master Tan—hsia T'ien—jan (Tanka Tennen [ 丹霞天然 ]) came to visit the Layman [ 龐居士 ]. He had just passed through the gate when he saw the Layman's daughter, Ling-chao [ 靈照 ], holding a basket of vegetables.
Tan—hsia said, "Is the Layman here or not?"
Ling—chao dropped the basket, stood up, and clasped her hands together on her chest.
Tan—hsia again asked, "Is the Layman here or not?"
Ling-chao picked up the basket and walked away, and Tan—hsia left.
When the Layman returned home, Ling-chao told him what had happened.
The Layman said, "Was it Tan-hsia?"
Ling—chao said, "He's gone now."
The Layman said, "You've spilled the milk. in the mud."
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A basket of produce is gathered up easily if dropped, unlike with the milk. What is the meaning of the Layman's milk metaphor?
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Afterward, Tan—hsia went to visit the Layman again. When the Layman saw him approaching, he didn't stand up or say anything.
Tan-hsia held up his whisk.
The Layman held up a pestle [that he was holding].
Tan—hsia said, "That's it? Nothing else?"
The Layman said, "Now I see you have become a master. Things are not the same as they were before."
Tan—hsia said, "Don't be prejudiced by appearances."
The Layman said, "But you've already been put to the test once [when you came before]?"
Tan—hsia said, "I don't know why I said nothing then."
The Layman said, "It was your right to say nothing. When I am annoyed, I also say nothing."
Tan—hsia lowered his Whisk and turned to leave.
The Layman called to him, saying, "Brother Ian! Brother Ian!" but Tan—hsia did not turn around.
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The episode with his daughter is described as a test. What was tested? Who performed the test?
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On another day, Tan-hsia came to visit the Layman. As he entered the gateway they saw each other and Tan-hsia asked, "Is the Layman here or not?"
The Layman said, "He died of starvation while fasting."
Tan-hsia said, "Well, is old man P'ang here or not?"
The Layman said, "Oh my god! Oh my god!" and he went into his house.
Tan-hsia said, "Oh my god! Oh my god!" and left.
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coming and going
identity starvation
Is this performance?
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One day Tan-hsia asked the Layman, "How is today like yesterday when we met each other?"
The Layman said, "Yesterday we had to quibble about the dharma in order to open the eye of our heritage."
Tan-hsia said, "How would Mr. P'ang know when the eye of our heritage has opened?"
The Layman said, "I see from inside your eye."
Tan-hsia said, "But my eye is so narrow. How can you sequester yourself in there?"
The Layman said, "How can you say that your eye is narrow, or that I can't sequester myself in there?"
Tan-hsia hesitated, so the Layman said, "Can you not say a word that would complete our conversation?"
Tan-hsia again did not reply, and the Layman said, "No one can say it all in a word."
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Seeing from inside the eye of another.
Perspective clear like a half-silver mirror. Standing in the darkness, the light side is visible; standing in the light, one sees their own face reflected back to them. Total Internal Reflection.
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One day the Layman came while Tan—hsia was in meditation. The Layman stood in front of him and clasped his hands on his chest [in greeting], but Tan-hsia did not look up. After a few minutes, the Layman moved away and took a seat. Tan-hsia then got up and stood in front of the Layman with his hands clasped to his chest. After a few minutes, he turned to go into his room.
The Layman then said, "I come in and you go out. What's the matter?"
Tan-hsia said, "When this old man comes, he comes. When he goes, he goes. There's really nothing to it."
The Layman said, "Don't you have one iota of compassion?"
Tan-hsia said, "This Chinaman just goes along to wherever he is led."
The Layman said, "When you are being led along, what takes hold of you?"
Tan-hsia then pulled off the Layman's head scarf and said, "You look just like an old master to me."
The Layman grabbed his head scarf back and put it on Tan—hsia's head, saying, "And you look just like a young coolie to me."
Tan-hsia said, "Yes sir! Yes sir! Yes sir!"
The Layman said, "So, there is still a little of that old-time spirit left after all."
Tan-hsia took the Layman's head scarf off his head and said, "What a filthy old rag this is!"
The Layman said, "Yes sir! Yes sir! Yes sir!"
Tan—hsia said, "The attempt to maintain the old-time spirit has been long forgotten."
The Layman snapped his fingers three times and said, "Heaven and Earth have changed places!"
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led along the way
this time knowing what to say
when to go away
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One day, when Tan—hsia saw the Layman coming, he took a step backward.
The Layman said, "What? Have you forgotten yourself? Where is that usual indomitable look?"
Tan—hsia sat down in meditation.
The Layman stood in front of him and wrote the number 7 on the ground with his staff, then wrote the number 7 underneath it, saying, "The seven is seen as one, and when the one is seen, the seven is forgotten."
Tan-hsia then stood up.
The Layman said, "Please sit a while longer and compose a second line for my verse."
Tan—hsia said, "What more can be added to that?"
The Layman then shouted three times and left.
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the fishermen's hook
that indomitable look
resolve never shook
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One day, the Layman was out for a walk with Tan-hsia when they came upon a deep, clear pond.
The Layman gestured toward it and said, "Consider this! Can you devise a way to make use of this?"
Tan—hsia said, "This is obvious! A way to use this can't be devised."
The Layman then splashed the water onto Tan-hsia twice.
Tan-hsia said, "Stop this! Stop this!"
The Layman said, "You asked for this! You asked for this!"
Tan-hsia then splashed the Layman three times, saying, "So, now what else are you going to do with this?"
The Layman said, "There's nothing left to do."
Tan—hsia said, "There aren't many who have such luck."
The Layman said, "Who has had such luck?"
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A splash of cold water from a deep pond. Really puts the whole story in perspective. P'ang is playing with him, and Tan is not happy about it.
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Splashing water on the fire god only makes him hotter.
Submitted March 05, 2023 at 02:23PM by eggo https://ift.tt/qpzM4C6
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