Joshu on time

Sayings of Joshu #255 A layman presented Joshu with a robe and asked. >"By wearing such clothes, will you not be betraying those of old?"

Joshu threw down his stick and said, "Is this of old? Is this of now?"

To me, this is Joshu pointing out the nature of time. It appears that a monk is concerned that Joshu is transgressing something concerning the old masters by wearing a robe.

In any case Joshu plays with time by throwing down a stick and asking if that act is old or now. Of course, Joshu knows there is only now and past and future are concepts without true reality. Always considering the "direct pointing" of which Joshua was a master, I feel he is trying to awaken the monk to now, which is all there is.

To extrapolate. The old masters did everything in the now as Joshua does, because there is no other possibility. So, there is really no old or new ways , but only the ever- present "now". :)

Submitted March 19, 2023 at 12:23AM by Ok_Understanding_188 https://ift.tt/SzB4OFE