From "Women Who Humiliated Monks", Zen Women: Beyond Tea Ladies, Iron Maidens, and Macho Masters, Grace Jill Schireson. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2009.
The Tea Lady: Deshan Refreshed
Deshan's tea-cake lady (ca. 850) is one witty example of a scholarly monk's comeuppance through the barbed insight of an unnamed old woman, a mother type. The tea lady, who sells pastries, softens up Deshan's arrogant defenses and sends him off to Zen Master Longtan for a more complete ego annihilation. It should be noted that the Chinese word for the pastry she served also means to "refresh" or "lighten" as well as "point to the mind."
Perhaps this tea lady had practiced with the great Longtan and been refreshed by his awakened mind. We learn nothing of her training through this story or any other.
Deshan (819-914), a scholar-monk who lectured on the Diamond Sutra in China, became a famous Zen teacher. The Diamond Sutra teaches that the realization of buddhahood occurs through concentrated study of the conduct and practices of the buddhas over countless eons, and that right conduct must come forth from unselfishness and helping others. When Deshan heard that the Zen masters of southern China were teaching that the mind itself was Buddha, he resolved to travel to "destroy this crew of Chan [Zen] devils." Deshan felt study was being overlooked by these devils, whose only concern seemed to be teaching how the mind appears in this very moment as Buddha. Full of himself, and carrying a big load of scholars' commentaries, Deshan stopped on the road for a snack of tea cakes an old woman was selling.
He put down his commentaries to buy some refreshment to lighten his mind. The woman said, "What is that you're carrying?" Deshan said, "Commentaries on the Diamond Sutra." The woman said, "I have a question for you. If you can answer it, I'll give you some pastry; if not, you'll have to buy it somewhere else." Deshan agreed. The woman said, "The Diamond Sutra says, 'Past mind can't be grasped, present mind can't be grasped, future mind can't be grasped.' Which mind does the learned monk wish to lighten [refresh]?" Deshan was speechless. The woman directed him to call on Longtan.1
1. Cleary, Blue Cliff Record, 30.
This tea lady understood that Deshan was loaded up with scholarly writings and self-importance. She taught Deshan that Zen was not to be found in his academic studies, but right here in this moment of interaction. She helped break down the heavy barrier of righteousness he wanted to inflict on the southern Zen school. This old lady dealt in tea cakes -- or mind pointers -- daily, so perhaps Deshan was not the only smarty-pants to fall prey to the old granny's Zen barb.
wrrdgrrl: The old woman broke down the heavy barrier of righteousness Deshan was bent on inflicting. He meant to pwn and got pwned from an unexpected source. How can today's students of the way take a lesson from this? It takes maturity and humility to admit that one is guilty of the crime of self importance. She caught him with his defenses down, as no-one expects such wisdom from a lowly tea lady.
Submitted November 17, 2019 at 07:44AM by wrrdgrrl https://ift.tt/2Ku00GN
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