One Hundred Questions (Cleary trans.) is a compilation of questions by Yuantong, followed by a short response by Wansong (of Book of Serenity fame) and his trusty dharma and temple heir Linquan.
Whilst it's a bit of fun to play digital dharma combat on reddit whilst getting lost in the weeds, these guys show everyone how it's done - an actual Zen Master asking one of those pesky questions, another Master casually bending arrows and catching mudballs to make tea with them, and a third to explain it all with a bit of flair? COME ON!
Question 86
Question posed by Yuantong
‘Knowing this is not what is hard; putting it into practice is the only difficulty’—so tell me, how do you put it into practice?
Answer given by Wansong
Please go ahead, master.
Verse composed by Linquan
Please go ahead, master—
Not keeping opposition or accord,
Stop asking about destruction, danger, success, or order.
Don’t speak of good and bad luck, repentance or regret.
The Great Way, free, is fundamentally inherently even—
What need is there to vainly carve a royal seal?
What need is there to vainly carve a royal seal? There's a whole section in the Shanghai Museum (the whole thing looks like a pot) dedicated to seals, those things that make the red fancy stamps on East Asian art works and documents. Some are very crude, kid and potato kind of affair, others make you look for the security cameras. The niftier the position, the more intricate the stamp, with precious bodies and carved ornaments.
Linquan asks what need there is to stamp everything with a fancy sign of official superiority - for it is the way that is great, whilst it is us who are equal.
Why does the Master get to sit on the high chair?
Submitted September 20, 2020 at 03:24PM by Coinionaire https://ift.tt/3kzgw7P
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