The Gateless Gate: Fuketsu's Zen spirit was like lightning and opened a clear passage. However, he was entangled in the monk's words and could not cut them off. If you can really grasp the problem, you can readily find the way out. Now, putting language samadhi aside, say it in your own words.

The Gateless Gate: Fuketsu's Speech and Silence [24th Case] 二十四　離却語言

風穴和尚、因僧問、語默渉離微、如何通不犯。

A monk asked Fuketsu, "Both speech and silence are faulty in being ri [離 inward action of mind] or bi [微 outward action of mind]. How can we escape these faults?"

穴云、長憶江南三月裏、鷓鴣啼處百花香。

Fuketsu said,

"I always remember the spring in Kõnan,

Where the partridges sing;

How fragrant the countless flowers!"

​

Mumon's Comment

無門曰、風穴機如掣電得路便行。

Fuketsu's Zen spirit was like lightning and opened a clear passage.

爭奈坐前人舌頭不斷。

However, he was entangled in the monk's words and could not cut them off.

若向者裏見得親切、自有出身之路。

If you can really grasp the problem, you can readily find the way out.

且離却語言三昧、道將一句來。

Now, putting language samadhi aside, say it in your own words.

​

Mumon's Verse 頌曰

不露風骨句 He does not use a refined phrase;

未語先分付 Before speaking, he has already handed it over.

進歩口喃喃 If you chatter on and on,

知君大罔措 You will find you have lost your way.

__________________________________________________________________________

Wandering Ronin commentary: Regarding the monk's question, Fuketsu said, "I always remember the spring in Kõnan, Where the partridges sing; How fragrant the countless flowers!" Now I ask you, did Fuketsu understand anything at all? Was he merely trolling the monk, and hiding a complete lack of understanding with pretty words? Was he avoiding the issue entirely, stonewalling the monk with a clever non-answer? This is one of the problems with attempting to have a discussion or debate in the Zen forum. There are going to be questions as to who knows what, who is enlightened and who is not, and what has merit and what doesn't.

Yet what does any of this have to do with the great matter at hand? Everywhere one may turn, dualism abounds like the edge of a sword; to say one understands or does not understand is to be in error on both accounts. I am particularly guilty of this myself when I slip, because in my seeking, I want to find those that understand and could offer a helping hand. I also want to challenge those that seem to think that their misunderstandings are Zen, which is a mistake as well. Overall and through my obvious shortcomings, I believe that if we work together, the journey becomes much easier because others here can point out potential attachments, aversions and blind spots that we aren't in the position to be aware of.

Furthermore, Mumon shares here in his verse: If you chatter on and on, you will find you have lost your way. This is something I'm quite guilty of as well, because I cannot help but talk about and find others who wish to talk about this fascinating subject at hand. It's a Zen sickness, if you will. And I don't mean to place myself in any lofty position above anyone here and I know that anyone can help, but I do realize that I have conditioned habits of being competitive and even quite abrasive at times. I know this about myself through Foyan's teachings of introspection, but I'm aware that the way beyond these shortcomings is to press ever onwards towards holding on to no foundations or conceptual thinking, which is the the closest thing I've found yet to the Way.

Submitted October 13, 2019 at 10:31PM by WanderingRoninXIII https://ift.tt/2M9Ejgd