The Blue Cliff Record: Chiu said, "I hit this fellow carelessly." Immediately the monk bowed. Chiu said, "Yet you act this way." The monk laughed loudly and went out. Chiu said, "That's all it comes to, that's all it comes to."

The Blue Cliff Record: Wu Chiu's Unjust Beating [75th Case]

POINTER

The subtle point, the jewel sword, perpetually revealed, pre­sent in front of us. It can kill people and it can bring people life. It's there and it's here, gaining and losing together with us. If you want to pick it up, you're free to pick it up; if you want to put it down, you're free to put it down.

But say, what's it like when not falling into guest and host, when interchanging without getting stuck? To test, I'm citing this old case: look!

CASE

A monk came to Wu Chiu from the congregation of the Master of Ting Chou. Wu Chiu asked, "How does Ting Chou's Dharma Path compare to here?" The monk said, "It's not different." Chiu said, "If it's not different, then you should go back there," and then hit him. The monk said, "There are eyes on the staff: you shouldn't carelessly hit people." Chiu said, "Today I've hit one," and hit him again three times. The monk thereupon went out.

Chiu said, "All along there's been someone receiving an unjust beating." The monk turned around and said, "What can I do? The handle is in your hands, Teacher." Chiu said, "If you want, I'll turn it over to you." The monk came up to Chiu, grabbed the staff out of his hands, and hit him three times. Chiu said, "An unjust beating, an unjust beating! " The monk said, "There's someone receiving it."

Chiu said, "I hit this fellow carelessly." Immediately the monk bowed. Chiu said, "Yet you act this way." The monk laughed loudly and went out. Chiu said, "That's all it comes to, that's all it comes to."

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Wandering Ronin commentary and questions: A beating for the monk, a beating for the master; what is the difference between blows? If there's someone there to receive the beating, then the beating is quite unavoidable; have you left anything behind among the myriad things? Now I ask you all, are you the guest or are you the host? Share your understanding of the matter here and let's see what we find.

And as the old pirate saying goes, "The beatings will continue until morale improves." haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgIqecROs5M

Submitted October 06, 2019 at 08:42PM by WanderingRoninXIII https://ift.tt/31PBHcM