Ten Voice Chorus

This is the 451st case from Dahui's Treasury: https://old.reddit.com/r/zen/wiki/getstarted

When Baizhang called on Mazu a second time, as he stood by, Mazu looked at the whisk at the corner of the meditation seat; Baizhang said, "Do you identify with this function or detach from this function?" Mazu said, "Later on, when you open your lips, how will you benefit people?" Baizhang took the whisk and stood it up. Mazu said, "Do you identify with this function or detach from this function?" Baizhang hung the whisk where it was before. Mazu drew himself up and shouted; Baizhang was deafened for three days. Fenzhou said, "If he was enlightened, the matter rests there; what more 'deafened for three days' is there to talk about?" Shimen said, "If he wasn't deafened for three days, how could he become enlightened?" Fenzhou said, "My speaking thus compares to that Shimen's half month journey." Donglin Cong said, "When you should speak, you don't shrink from cutting off the tongue; when you're in charge of a furnace, you don't shrink from sparks flying. How can Buddhism crookedly follow human sentiments? Today I go to the black dragon's cave to fight for the pearl; it's not that Baizhang was not deafened for three days, but how could Fenzhou and Shimen avoid both being blind? What about these three elders - did they become enlightened or not? (after a pause he said) If the ancestors do not finish, the calamity comes to their descendants."

Also, Fenyang's verse says,

It's always because of having nothing to do he attends the teacher's presence;

The teacher points to what's hung at the corner of the rope seat.

Picking it up, putting it down, he's returned it to its original position:

Distinctly clear, one shout is transmitted even now.

Zhenjing's verse says,

The visitor's sense step by step rolls along with another;

He has a great luster of dignity but cannot show.

Suddenly a single shout and both ears are deaf;

A demon king's eyes open on Huangbo's face.

---

Mazu's shout was so loud, Linji's mouth still roars in echo.

Later on, when you open your lips, how will you benefit people?

I never know what's gonna benefit someone. Right now it seems like being honest about who I am is enough to have some conversations here and there. Sometimes someone says they learnt something. Sometimes people get mad at me. If any of that benefits anyone I think it depends more on the person on the other end deciding what they benefit from.

If he wasn't deafened for three days, how could he become enlightened?

Those who know the law, fear it. What else could Baizhang's ears do but tremble? If you haven't had Baizhang's experience, how can you claim to be like him?

How can Buddhism crookedly follow human sentiments?

The compulsive passions are the Buddha. Just don't follow them crookedly. What compulsive passion are you leaving out?

If the ancestors do not finish, the calamity comes to their descendants.

I better be thorough. Who's an ancestor? Who's a descendant? Telling them apart is only half. If the descendants do not finish, I'm afraid they won't recognize their ancestors.

Submitted September 02, 2022 at 09:46AM by astroemi https://ift.tt/09R26eQ