From the Linji-lu, passage #30:
An elderly monk came for an interview with the Master. Before he had finished with the customary greetings, he asked, “Would it be right to make a formal bow? Or would it be right to do without the bow?”
The Master gave a shout.
The elderly monk made a formal bow.
The Master said, “Quite some thief-in-the-grass!”
The elderly monk said, “Thief! Thief!” and left the room.
The Master said, “Better not think that that ends the matter~”
The head monk was standing in attendance. The Master said, “Were there any mistakes or not?”
The head monk said, “There were.”
The Master said, “Was the guest mistaken Or was the host mistaken?”
The head monk said, “Both were mistaken.”
The Master said, “Where was the mistake?”
The head monk left the room.
The Master said, “Better not think that that ends the matter!”
Later, a monk mentioned the incident to Nan-ch’uan. Nan-ch’uan said, “Government horses trampling on each other.”
Having been on r/zen for a few years, I have seen many characters come and go. Some leave in a haughty flourish with some final scathing critique of r/zen that usually involves a tirade about their personal problems with ewk, while condemning everyone else for being guilty by association. They and ewk are both wrong and neither better think that that ends the matter!
Or there are people who proudly pronounce “Blocked!” or “Reported!" to end an argument. They also better not think that that ends the matter!
And the people who bicker endlessly back and forth, fortified with quotes from zen masters and passionate and/or reasoned responses; or the people who in a poetic flourish attempts to demonstrate rather than speak their understanding: what a bunch of government horses trampling each other. Better not think that that ends the matter!
Submitted February 25, 2022 at 02:50AM by jungle_toad https://ift.tt/8qT2VnZ
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