From the Record of Tung-shan:
A monk said, "The Master normally tells us to follow the bird path. I wonder what the bird path is?"
"One does not encounter a single person," replied the Master.
"How does one follow such a path?" asked the monk.
"One should go without hemp sandals on one's feet," replied the Master.
"If one follows the bird path, isn't that seeing one's original face?" said the monk.
"Why do you turn things upside down so?" asked the Master.
"But where have I turned things upside down?" asked the monk.
"If you haven't turned things upside down, then why do you regard the slave as master?" said the Master.
"What is one's original face?" asked the monk.
"Not to follow the bird path," responded the Master.
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ewk book note index - What is the "not to follow"? What is Mazu's, "Not in harmony"? I brought up before this question of what the self confessed "/r/Zen Buddhists" think salvation is? None of them came forward to answer, just like none of them came forward with an /r/Buddhism post about what "Buddhism" is or what "Buddhists believe". Whatever they might say though, how can it accord with Dongshan's "not to follow the bird path"?
Zen students might notice that this Case in particular involves challenges to church Buddhism, as it alludes to the Prajñāpāramitā sutras, aka the sutras of Perfection of Wisdom verses/sutras/whatever.
According to Edward Conze the Prajñāpāramitā Sutras are "a collection of about forty texts...composed in India between approximately 100 BC and AD 600."Some Prajnāpāramitā sūtras are thought to be among the earliest Mahāyāna sūtras.
Zen Masters draw on these texts, challenging and rejecting faith-based Mahayana religions over the legacy of... whoever that was. Note that "wisdom" is a translation here that somewhat misses the mark... it's prajna, which, according to Suzuki's Huineng, is "intuitive knowledge", which would be the exact opposite of how many Buddhists use "wisdom", particularly Soto Buddhists like Hakamaya.
Specificially:
A flying bird has no footing in the intermediate space. It does not stand on it, nor does it fall to the ground. So the Bodhisattva who courses in the doors to freedom Neither experiences the Blessed Rest, nor does he course in the sign.
and:
When the wise become resolutely intent, Day and night beholding the meaning of wisdom, the foremost perfection, Then their bodies, thoughts and speech become [free] like a bird in the sky.
Tracklessness, freedom from words, teachings, doctrines, and holy texts, these are common Zen themes taken from texts that, of course, claim them as holy writ, but not so much as any kind of pointing. Anyway, how do you follow the trackless? How do you pass a barrier with no opening? No practice, a transmission of no dharma, how to make sense of it?
Submitted November 30, 2017 at 10:29PM by ewk http://ift.tt/2j3XY2m
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