Book of Equanimity: Yunmen's "Bowl and Bucket"

Cleary, Case 99:

(Parantheses are Wansong)

Introduction: There's a particular knowledge for chess, a particular stomach for wine . The three holes of a crafty rabbit, the myriad raids of a wily fox. There is still another uninhibited one--tell me, who is it?

 

Case: A monk asked Yunmen, "What is every-atom Samadhi?"(I have a vow not to scatter sand.) Yunmen said, "Rice in the bowl, water in the bucket." (It bumps the head, knocks the forehead, strikes the jowls and hits the face; it's everywhere.)

 

Commentary: The Flower Ornament Scripture speaks of entering right samadhi on one atom and rising from right samadhi on all atoms. It also says, "Every atom is thus, every thing is thus." The monk's question just wanted Yunmen to bring it out right to his face: Yunmen said, "Rice in the bowl, water in the bucket." But tell me, did he bring it out or not? Some immediately grasp it and present some thing as it's voiced, and present their abilities in a phrase. Some say, "Each grain of rice in the bowl is round, each drop of water in the bucket is wet." Then there is yet another kind in such a rush they say, "In the bowl there is rice, in the bucket there is water." Foguo said, "Wash your mouth out for three years!" Just for you folks, Xuedou said, "The talkative teacher can't open his mouth." Actually he hasn't much guts. You look how Tiantong breaks open the skin on the face; his verse says,

Verse: Rice in the bowl, water in the bucket:(The bowl is filled, the dipper ladles.) Opening his mouth, he shows his guts, seeking one who knows himself.(Simply by extreme clarity, paradoxically he makes the attainment belated.) Try to think and you fall into second and third impulses,(Tiantong's is the fourth.) Face to face suddenly becomes ten-million miles.(This must be an early return journey.) Master Yunmen realized a little bit:(I still don't dare guarantee it.) The metal-cutting meaning--who is the same?(If one does not turn against people in the heart...) The mind firmer than rock alone can be like this.(...there will be no color of shame on the face.)

1. Once I said 'I practice mindfulness'
   
2. They became very deliberate and self-conscious.
   
3. I kept stuffing my face.

Note: 'Equanimity' in my opinion, is a more versatile translation than 'Serenity'.

Submitted November 06, 2018 at 09:02AM by seigando https://ift.tt/2RBkTAQ