Record Of Dongshan F58: Pushing the head toward the grass.

Dongshan’s record series #58

Hsiu-ching of Hua-yen said to the Master, "I am without a proper path. I still can't escape the vicissitudes of feelings and discriminating consciousness."

"Do you still think there is such a path?" asked the Master.

"No, I don't think there is any such path," answered Hua-yen.

"Where did you get your feelings and discriminating consciousness?" asked the Master.

"I am asking you that in all seriousness," said Hua-yen.

"In that case, you should go to a place where there is not an inch of grass for ten thousand li," said the Master.

"Is it all right go to a place where there is not an inch of grass for ten thousand li?" asked Hua-yen.

"You should only go in such a way," replied the Master.

Dongshan is high! He is like a Sherpa lost in the mist and snow, giving advice.

When Hsiu-ching says “proper path”, he’s talking about a fundamental Dao a path in tune with natural orders of things. Proper is Li in the Chinese, and Li carries with it a much more significant context than “right, correct, upstanding, etc”. Powell’s note suggests that it was derived from ways of cutting jade along the vein.

I’ve heard tell of a story of Welsh miners who were interred to work on the Burmese railway who saved the lives of other prisoners by teaching them to listen closely to the rock – to not hack at it with great, wearying strikes of the pick, but just tap, tap, tap, until one of the taps rang out in a certain glassy, or metallic way. At that point, they’d strike hard to collapse the rock, and in so doing, save a few unbroken strands of already emaciated muscle.

Anyhow, meditation instruction aside, Hsiu-ching doesn’t have such a way. Shouldn’t that be celebrated? Certain folks of r/Zen would have it like that. No path, no way, no fixed or fundamental rule, no abiding, no Buddha-nature, all the no’s. Dongshan points out something very obvious – well, you’re here aren’t you? Thinking, feeling, walking about? Hsiu-ching says “I’m asking you in all seriousness”. I think he gives the game away there. Dongshan treats him like a kid visiting Grandma thereafter.

But there's some real beauty in "Is it all right to go to a place where there is not an inch of grass for ten thousand li?" Trust plays a real part.

Submitted March 05, 2022 at 03:20AM by bigSky001 https://ift.tt/Jj8HqFr