Going South: Bon Tich & Khanh Hy

There are lots of entries in the text that involve trivial biographical info, ghost stories, supernatural encounters, and death poems...LAME

Between them all we've had no more than a half-dozen entries of actual dialogues; based on both the translators remarks half of those look to be copy/pasted from Chinese records with a name switch-a-roo.

Date wise we are at 1067-1142 for Khanh Hy, with, for point of reference, 1125 being when the Blue Cliff Record was written by Yuanwu over in China.

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One day, while Khanh Hy and Zen Master Bon Tich were on their way to a donor's house to receive offerings, he asked: "What is the true intent of the patriarchs of Zen?"

Just then they heard the sounds of a sorcerer ceremony in a house nearby; Bon Tich said, "Aren't these the words of a sorcerer calling down spirits?"

Khanh Ny said, "Please do not joke with me, Venerable Teacher."

Bon Tich said, "I have never showed off to anybody!"

Khanh Hy could not understand so he left Bon Tich.

This itself is showing it off.

....

Khanh Hy went to Bien Tai's place, [relating that he didn't answer even one of his questions], Bien Tai asked, "What is your question?"

Khanh Hy related the previous conversation.

Bien Tai said, "Alas! Venerable Tich has gone out of his way to explain everything to you. Better not slander your own teacher."

Khanh Hy paused in thought.

Bien Tai said, "Haven't you heard that, 'When you have realized, all phenomena are sufficient; when you are not yet enlightened, you are perpetually confused and at odds."¹

Khanh Hy was abruptly enlightened and returned to Bon Tich. When Bon Tich saw him, he asked, "Why are you coming back so quickly?"

Khanh Hy prostrated himself, saying "I comitted the sin of slandering you, Teacher, I'm back here to ask to be allowed to repent."

Khanh Hy said, "I should repent just like that."

Just drop notions of realization and enlightenment entirely--there is not a spot where it isn't fully explained.

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[Upon an assembly of monks being asked to present their understanding of Zen before Bon], Khanh gave a shout and said, "When there's an optical illusion in your eyes, you see illusory flowers falling in confusion."²

Bon Tich said, "Master Khanh Hy, what will you do with the boat? You've broken the bailing buckets?"

Khanh Hy said, "Why use a boat?"

Bon Tich said, "You haven't opened up yet, smart guy. You only know about things on this side; you haven't even dreamt of things on the other side."

Khanh Hy said, "It's only him, though."

Bon Tich said, "Leave the top of a hundred-foot pole and take a step-what do you say about this?"

Khanh Hy raised his two fists, saying, "Don't be stingy! Don't be stingy!"

Bon Tich said, "I'll spare you a beating!"

After that, his fame spread over all the Buddhist communities.

Infamy*

It's never been the cited names of so-and-so that have caused all sorts of consternation what a question about Zen is raised, but, like Wumen said...

All it takes is the shadow of the whip.

1 -- From Dazhu "Great Pearl" Huihai.

2 -- Some guy named Furong Lingxun said it first?

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Questions from these cases!

1. What does it mean to slander one's own teacher in Zen?

2. There's a tradition in Zen of referencing other cases and bringing them up to test one's understanding; this is in stark contrast to religious institutions that claim that understanding is a function of repeating a particular set of doctrines and behaving in a particular, ritually purifying, way.

   What's the understanding that they're testing for?

3. Was Khanh Hy being stingy in sharing his understanding or not?

Submitted May 22, 2022 at 03:07AM by ThatKir https://ift.tt/nWk5aD2