As for those who try to understand through other people's words, they are striking at the moon with a stick; scratching a shoe, whereas it is the foot that itches. What concern have they with the truth?

Wumenguan, Line 4
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/mumonkan.htm

As for those who try to understand through other people's words, they are striking at the moon with a stick; scratching a shoe, whereas it is the foot that itches. What concern have they with the truth?

 

As for those who try to understand through other people's words,

This is YOU.

they are striking at the moon with a stick; scratching a shoe, whereas it is the foot that itches.

Why would someone strike at the moon with a stick? Why wouldn't you take off your shoe if it's your foot that itches?

What concern have they with the truth?

What concern do we have with the truth?

 

edit:

 

Line 5:

In the summer of the first year of Jõtei, Ekai was in Ryûshõ Temple and as head monk worked with the monks, using the cases of the ancient masters as brickbats to batter the gate and lead them on according to their respective capacities.

 

Jõtei: Wikipedia says 'emperor'. That's all I could find via Google. Anyone know more specifics?

Ekai

Wumen refers to themself in the third person.

was in Ryûshõ Temple

Google turned up nothing on this as well.

and as head monk worked with the monks,

Can any of us relate to a 'head monk working with the monks'?

using the cases of the ancient masters as brickbats to batter the gate

Remember, at the beginning of this text, Wumen defined 'the gate' as 'not-the-gate'

and lead them on

What is 'leading them on'?

according to their respective capacities.

What are 'respective capacities'?

 

Line 6:

The text was written down not according to any scheme, but just to make a collection of forty-eight cases.

Thus, it shouldn't matter if one starts at the beginning, middle, end, etc. Did Wumen know he intended to make a collection of 'forty-eight' cases?

It is called Mumonkan, "The Gateless Gate."

It is called Wumenguan, "The 'Not-The-Gate, Gate". Still looking for the right translation for this title. How can Ancient Chinese stick around for over a thousand years, and we still don't know what it means? Why haven't we sufficiently translated this text?

Submitted November 06, 2018 at 02:48PM by seigando https://ift.tt/2PKPDSK