What are Facts? - Cat Edition

Some people get angry when you talk about facts, because they’d much rather talk about their opinions of reality. They say "but can you ever really know anything?" It’s just plain dishonest. We can know a bunch of things. To demonstrate, here’s this famous case about a cat,

At Nan Ch'uan's place one day the (monks of) the eastern and western halls were arguing about a cat. When Nan Ch'uan saw this, he then held up the cat and said, "If you can speak, then I will not kill it." No one in the community replied; Nan Ch'uan cut the cat into two pieces.

So what do we know?

1) We know this case is included in the Blue Cliff Record, the Book of Serenity, and in *Wumen's Checkpoint.

2) We know Yuanwu asks you to contemplate this story and see if you understand what was Nanquan's intention for doing this,

An accomplished master of our school: see his movement, stillness, his going out and entering in. Tell me, what was his inner meaning?

3) We know the important part according to Yuanwu is not about how Nanquan held the cat up or about him cutting it,

Some say that the holding up is it; some say it lies in the cutting. But actually these bear no relation to it at all.

4) We know that according to Yuanwu this case is not about how it makes you feel,

The fact is that at that time he really did not kill. This story does not lie in killing or not_killing. This matter is clearly known; it is so distinctly clear. It is not to be found in emo­ tions or opinions; if you go searching in emotions and opin­ ions, then you tum against Nan Ch'uan.

5) We know Wansong discuss how someone criticized Nanquan for breaking the precepts, while some other fella' said it was all make believe. We know Wansong said the latter critique is a bigger fault than the first one. You may discuss if this case is a historical fact, but Wansong doesn't think that that is what's important about it.

6) We know Wumen dropped this challenge,

Just say, what was the living meaning of Zhaozhou putting the grass shoes on top of his head? If within you are able to issue one turning word, then you see Nanquan’s decree is not a vain act, and in that case maybe he is not dangerous.

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So what's so controversial about this cat? What facts are we disputing here?

Submitted March 30, 2023 at 05:49AM by astroemi https://ift.tt/bAXWHDk