Ordinary is the Way

19. Ordinary Is the Way

Nanquan: Because Zhaozhou asked, "Compared to what is the Way?" Quan said, "Ordinary mind is the Way."

Zhou said, "To return [to ordinary mind], can one advance quickly by facing obstructions?”

Quan said, "Intending to face something is immediately at variance.”

Zhou said, “Isn’t the striving of intention how to know the Way?

Quan said, "The Way is not a category of knowing and not a category of not knowing. Knowing is false consciousness; not knowing is without recollection. If you really break through to the Way of non-intention, it is just like the utmost boundless void, like an open hole. Can you be that stubborn about right and wrong, still?!

At these words Zhou fell into sudden awakening.

Wumen says: Nanquan suffered Zhaozhou’s arising questions simply to obtain a tile to melt the icicles, to eliminate discriminating, to pierce not-falling-into. Though Zhaozhou came to a bountiful awakening, he still interviewed for thirty years to be able to begin.

The Ode says:

Spring has a hundred flowers; autumn has the moon;

Summer has cool winds; winter has the snow.

If no leisure or business hangs up the top of the heart-mind,

Then the human world is the season of good times.

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This translation is by Wonderwheel (Swag name btw). I spent a couple hours reading through this version of the NoGateKan. I perceive the tone to be a fair bit different from other translations I have read. Hard to generalize how, but some koans resonate differently. There are non-invasive definitions of certain terms, names or places, also, which is appreciated. I am partial to this translation, so if you are perhaps looking for a different lens, maybe check it out.

A common recurring theme is not referencing Mind, but Heart-Mind.

Anyway. My thoughts, views, questions;

Zaozhou asks a question; Nanquan points to a different modality in the question. A roundabout answer to point beyond the intention of the question. He doesn't ignore the question, or dismiss it. He continually points to the source, he does not speak randomly.

In the first answer, Nanquan moves past the idea of advancing and instead plants doubt over intention to contend with, to struggle with something. Over the idea of obstruction. Imaginary gates.

In this answer Nanquan points at the fallacy of trying to *know* the Way in the first place. But also, inversely, warns that *not knowing* the way is to drown yourself in the same poison. Flip a coin, choose your fate. A blind prophet or a stumbling fool? One right, One wrong. Can you be that stubborn about right or wrong, still?

Cute, how Zhou fell into awakening. Right into the hole.

A question, finally;

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Though Zhaozhou came to a bountiful awakening, he still interviewed for thirty years to be able to begin.

There are many references throughout Zen texts to 10, 20, 30 years before understanding fully. I can't tell how literal you're supposed to take these statements.
First off they're always round decade numbers(in those I've read), which makes me laugh. But the root of my questioning lies in the whole, Sudden Awakening paradigm, Nothing to achieve, and yet it took him 30 years to begin. The contradiction betrays the simple statement. So I put it out there, in case someone might slap me in just the right place ;).

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I leave you with a song, bin it if you're not interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUTMa1CIspI

Submitted July 16, 2020 at 11:08AM by JazzDeath https://ift.tt/2ZyENDf