The Four x Seven [28] Statements of Zen

"Looking at the sidebar, I can't help but wonder: There is an AND in the fourth statement. Can one become anything other than a buddha on seeing the light?" - Krabice, 2023

I would reply to the comment but I already credited paintedw0rlds for the inspiration and wouldn't you know it the two happen to have overlapping relevance- hence the thread.

And speaking of overlapping threads, and personally having a penchant for spinning things, I decided to take a crack at the ever-precious statements of zen that serve as this subreddit's cornerstone (so to speak) with my personal weaving pattern (feel free to make your own) and see what happened to turn up.

Now my posts are always complicated- so obviously I made this one even more complicated, but this time I'll provide an example format as so:

[the I Ching Reference]

Written Chinese

Spoken Syllables

Spoken Syllables

The tethered meanings from the written characters

the tethered meanings from the spoken syllables for those written characters

untethered meanings from those same spoken syllables

the statement of zen as presented to the side

statement from the second set of zen statements by D.T. Sazuki from the wiki

"Taken directly from BCR"

so I consider that 7 statements (I count the I Ching reference as a statement) for every original Statement of Zen (so 4 x 7 = 28 Statements of Zen)- although if you were to count the written and spoken Chinese I suppose it'd be 9 statements then (so 4 x 9 = 36 Statements of Zen) and so I present:

​

[Creative Impetus]

謂之教外別傳

wèi zhī jiāo wài bié chuán

wei4 zhi1 jiao1 wai4 bie2 chuan2

Naming going on teaching outside sticking something in passing down

setting out going on gluing outside sticking something in a vessel

setting out a single otter-like creature outside sticking something in passing down

The separate transmission outside the teachings,

A special transmission outside the Scriptures,

…..outside teaching

[Receptive Power]

不立文字

bù lì wén zì

bu4 li4 wen2 zi4

Not instituting the official document wording

a knot assuming a role getting a sniff at throwing off restraint

proclaiming adhering the official document wording

Not based on the written word,

Not depending upon the letter,

…..No text

[Difficulty at the Beginning/Sprouting]

直指人心

zhí zhǐ rén xīn

zhi2 zhi3 ren2 xin1

Constantly pointing out a person the Fifth [Patience/Attending/Waiting] of the Twenty-Eight [Excessive Pressure/Great Transition/Obsessive Caring] Celestial Mansions (The Heart of the Spring Azure Dragon of the East)

pouncing originally a person manifesting enlightenment

reproducing merely laying the weaving warp manifesting enlightenment

Points directly at the human mind一

But pointing directly to the Mind; and

…..Point to people's hearts

[Youthful Folly/Enveloping]

見性成佛

jiàn xìng chéng fú

jian4 xing4 cheng2 fu2

Seeing the nature helping to achieve brushing off

being intermingled doting on flaunting holding onto something for support

being intermingled the nature being obliged brushing off

You see your nature and become a buddha.

Leading us to see the Nature itself, thereby making us attain Buddhahood.

…..Becoming a Buddha by Seeing Nature

​

Now it's a fine story but is it Zen? If not, then remove everything I added and only read the quoted language. If you still disagree, match the cypress tree in the yard.

Submitted April 18, 2023 at 06:01AM by SpakeTheWeasel https://ift.tt/yahw7Cg