Cooked rice

1. Master Jingshan Feng said to an assembly,
   

Piercing the clouds not crossing waters, crossing the waters not piercing clouds, heaven and earth - holding still, not holding still; space - letting go, not letting go. Three horizontal, four vertical; now separating, now joining. It's not that there is no using the long to make up for the short. People, 'cooked rice is rice' makes a statement, but it is hard to say. (pause) Private affairs don't get official response.

A monk asked, "What is entering concentration in a single atom?"

He said, "A snake bites a rats tail."

"What is emerging in all atoms?"

"A turtle bites a fishing pole."

The monk asked, "Then east and west are not distinguished, south and north are not distinguished."

He said, "A single lamp to light the night in front of the hall, several stalks of shining green bamboo outside the blind."

"How is it before the Buddhas appear in the world?"

"Not inscribing the wine shop's sign."

"How about after they appear in the world?"

"Giving three taps aboard a fishing boat."

- Cleary's Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching I

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Comment:

Not hesitating and speaking from the heart - even if you stop to think about it first, it's just as real. It's going to be hard to unwrap the response if it was hard to say. Some of the most private things are shared with everyone.

What's with the three taps?

Submitted December 18, 2018 at 02:39PM by sje397 https://ift.tt/2QASUFo