Mazu w/ Text: Drink up!

Layman Pang asked Mazu, "What sort of a person is

the one who has no involvement with the ten thousand dharmas?" Mazu said, "Drink up all the water in the West River in

a single gulp, and I'll tell you."

龐居士問祖云､不与万法為侶者,是甚麼人。祖曰､待 汝一口吸尽西江水、即向汝道。

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Welcome! ewk comment: Not much to object to in the translation as far as I can see... the commentary by a the religious nutbaker typically fails entirely to engage the text tho.

1. The ten thousand dharmas = everything
2. Mazu says "drink it", but how can anyone?
3. Mazu saying "I'll tell you" implies that Mazu himself has no engagement with the 10,000 dharmas.

That #3 is the real problem. Of course Pang brought this on himself with the question, but there it is.

Submitted March 09, 2022 at 10:36AM by ewk https://ift.tt/opIJyrl