Dropkick Enlightenment

As Zibu was hoeing the ground he pressed down in the hoe. Turning around, he looked at Shengguang and said, “It’s not that there’s nothing to do, but if you’ve got an attitude, you err.” Shenguang immediately asked, “What is there to do?” Zihu kicked him in the chest, knocking him down. At this Shengguang was enlightened.

“If you’ve got an attitude you err”—This could be a reference to not insisting upon the authority your likes and dislikes.

What is the meaning of Zihu kicking him in the chest, however?

Submitted May 24, 2023 at 10:06PM by ThatKir https://ift.tt/hrEDV9s

Do not be deceived by others!

Linji said, ”Past worthies since ancient times all had ways of developing people. What I teach people just requires you not to allow yourself to be confused by others. Act when necessary, without further hesitation.”

This reminds me of the following case from Wumen’s Checkpoint:

Zuigan called out to himself every day: “Master.” Then he answered himself: “Yes, sir.” And after that he added: “Become sober.” Again he answered: “Yes, sir.”” And after that,” he continued, “do not be deceived by others.” “Yes, sir; yes, sir,” he answered.

The commonality between the cases is shouldering the responsibility not to be deceived by what people are saying. Religion on the other hand involves placing supernatural faith in what people tell you is real, what is important, and how to go about living your life.

Linji and Zuigan belong to a tradition that rejected the religious authority people demanded they play into.

Submitted May 24, 2023 at 08:49PM by ThatKir https://ift.tt/NOky42U

Cats and the Precepts

Let's fight about having a cat. Maybe someone will come and cut it in half for us!

I had an interesting thought this morning: Does the precept against killing apply to cat ownership?

After all, cats are meat eaters. Let them roam around freely and they will catch birds or the little blind snakes and mice. Also, most cat food contains meat. There's no way around it, having a cat involves killing. And there are too many cats. They're bad for local ecosystems. Too many people have them. You could keep them indoors and raise them on vegetarian cat food, but I think most people would consider thatmcruel to the cats.

I think considering these kinds of questions is a question of whether the precepts are seen as a living or as a dead practice.

Because the answer is not cut and dry. On a farm where cats serve as pest control to keep grain safe? I don't think there is much issue. They're staff, hired to perform an important job. They cut snakes in half.

Having a cat in a densely populated area however is contributing to the too many cats problem and one has to be aware of the consequences of one's choices when doing self examination.

What to you think? Cats or no cats? And what do we do if we realize this and already have two of them in our home when we notice this? Can't get rid of them, can't keep them. Now doesn't that sound like a dose of Zen?

Probably not. But then again, I can see this being a very personal question.

Submitted May 24, 2023 at 10:20AM by dota2nub https://ift.tt/BHflpCn

Baiyun Duan 78: Zhimen's Lotus Leaves

Zen Master Zhimen Zuo was asked by a monk, “What is it like when the lotus blossom hasn’t yet emerged from the water?”

The Master said, “Lotus blossoms.”

“What about after emerging?”

“Lotus leaves.”

[0302a19] 智門祚禪師因僧問。蓮華未出水時如何。師曰。蓮華。曰出水後如何。師曰。荷葉。

Lotus blossoms emerge out of lotus leaves!
When mud and water are seperated, no trace of sediment remains—
Can you recall where the nine dragons first disappeared?
With every step taken, east and west, a lotus opens.

[0302a21] 蓮華荷葉有繇哉。泥水分時絕點埃。堪憶九龍初沒處。東西一步一華開。

Submitted May 24, 2023 at 07:30AM by surupamaerl2 https://ift.tt/39JhsXm

無門關 Wumenguan (Mumonkan) Title's word-for-word translation ( Chinese - English )

Other related posts that I could find easily: 1 2

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Translating the title of the text and the author´s name:

title: 無門關

by author: 無門 慧開

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{ 無 門 關 - (wú mén guān) - without door closed }

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無門關

[without/ have no (無)] [door/gate] [to close/relationship]

Without door closed

Alt. Trans.: have no door closed

Alt. Trans.: without gates closed

Alt. Trans.: negation is a closed gate.

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In reference to sects and hidden or secret knowledge, which was said to be 'kept behind closed doors': (regarding knowledge) have no [secret behind] closed doors.

In reference to a host, that was said to deny visits having the doors closed: (as a host with guests) have no door closed.

In reference to the mind, that is said to have gates: (in the mind) without gates closed.

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As re-interpreted from a negative statement to a positive statement:

Have the door open // open the gate

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{ 無 門 慧 開 - (wú mén huì kāi ) - without door bright open }

Name: Wumen Huikai (Mumon Ekai)

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無門 慧開

[without/have no (無)] [door] [bright/intelligence] [open]

without door bright open

Alt. Trans.: Without a door, the (broom)-mind opens

Alt. Trans.: having no door, bright openness

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As two statements related to each other:

have no door closed; [because] without a door, intelligence opens.

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Characters:

[ 無 - wú - without ]

Translated as:

dict. 1 negative, no, not; lack, have no; not to have; no; none; not; to lack; un-; -less

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Pictographic representation:

Pictograph of a person (大) dancing with decorations (革) hanging from his arms, conveying the meaning "dance". Original form of 舞 (dance). The current form is a phonetic loan.

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[ 門 - mén - door ]

Translated as:

dict. gate, door, entrance, opening; gate; door;

CL:扇[shàn]; gateway; doorway;

CL:個|个[gè]; opening; valve; switch; way to do something; knack; family; house; (religious) sect; school (of thought); class; category; phylum or division (taxonomy); classifier for large guns; classifier for lessons, subjects, branches of technology; (suffix) -gate (i.e. scandal; derived from Watergate)

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Pictographic representation:

Pictograph of a gate.

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[ 關 - guān - to close ]

dict. to close

frontier pass; close; relation; mountain pass; to close; to shut; to turn off; to concern; to involve

Pictographic representation:

門 Meaning component: ( mén ) door

𢇇 Sound component: ( guān) to run threads through a web in weaving

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[ 慧 - huì - bright ]

dict. bright, intelligent; intelligence; intelligent

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Pictographic representation:

心 Meaning component: (xīn) heart [mind] Depicts a heart.

彗 Sound component: (huì) Pictograph of a hand holding broom.

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[ 開- kāi - to open ]

dict. open; initiate, begin, start; to open; to start; to turn on; to boil; to write out (a prescription, check, invoice, etc.); to operate (a vehicle); carat (gold); abbr. for Kelvin, 開爾文|开尔文[Kāi​'ěr​wén]; abbr. for 開本|开本[kāi​běn], book format

Pictographic representation:

Pictograph of two hands (廾) opening the bolt (一) on a door (門).

Submitted May 24, 2023 at 03:12AM by Pristine-Simple689 https://ift.tt/lf4TqxI