After my last post about Linji's device of guest and host, which approached the topic from a kind of theoretical perspective, let's see how it applies in specific cases. The use of guest and host is mostly just to test people. Can they move freely or do they get stuck? In case 13 of the Measuring Tap, Yuanwu gives some examples. In his commentary, Yuanwu explains:
When masters of the school see monks, they question them and test them, to see if they are genuine, distinguishing what’s appropriate to the situation and distinguishing guest and host. With one question they know where they’re at. [...] Observe how those ancients distinguished people through their statements, breaking them down; only then does it constitute testing monks.
We get three example for this: the case itself, and two additional stories told by Yuanwu. I'll leave the case itself for last.
Yunmen’s testing of monks was extremely skillful and perceptive. One day he asked a monk, “Where are you from?” The monk said, “I’m a Korean.” Yunmen said, “How did you cross the sea?” The monk said, “The outlaw is busted.” Yunmen said, “Why are you in my hands?” The monk said, “It just so happens.” Yunmen said, “Leap all you will.”
We get no further commentary by Yuanwu on this. "Where are you from" / "Where have you just come from?" is a testing question used in all three examples. By this question, the Zen masters establishes himself as the host. He doesn't present anything that could be considered a gift, and he establishes the context as someone else visiting him. Note that this example starts with "One day he asked a monk", so it seems that this monk wasn't a random visitor, he was living in Yunmen's monastery. So his reply, claiming to be from Korea, is made up. Yunmen further inquires how the monk crossed the sea. "The outlaw is busted", the monk is admitting his lie. Not much to add on the last three phrases be the monk and Yunmen.
Since this was about Yunmen testing the monk, did he pass? My verdict is yes. Yunmen assumed the role of host and made the monk his guest. The monk brought up something as a present ("I'm Korean"), when Yunmen examines it, he immediately let's go. Guest and host interchanging, Yunmen claims the monk to be in his hands and the monk accepts it. The monk passes both as a guest and as a host.
Also, Beichan asked a monk, “Where have you just come from?” The monk said, “Zifu [‘Sustaining Prosperity’].” Beichan said, “How is prosperity sustained?” The monk said, “A double case.” Beichan said, “Why are you in my hands?” The monk said, “I let you take me in.” Beichan then stopped.
This is so similar to the previous example, I'll leave it as an exercise for the audience.
Now the main case:
Zaoshu asked a monk, “Where have you just come from?” The monk said, “The nation of Han.” Zaoshu said, “Does the emperor of Han respect Buddhism?” The monk said, “Ouch! Lucky you asked me. If you had asked someone else, a disaster would have occurred.”
Zaoshu, like Yunmen and Beichan, assumes the role of the host. The monk's second response (“Ouch! Lucky you asked me. If you had asked someone else, a disaster would have occurred.”) is funny. It seems like the monk is passing the test, up to this point. He let go of this emperor of Han business and remarks someone else might have failed. ... or so you might think. But he is about to prove us wrong and fail the test. Yuanwu remarks on this sentence: "That seems like it, but I’m afraid he has a dragon’s head but a snake’s tail.", so he's basically saying "seems like the monk is doing well, but I'm afraid that's a wrong impression."
Zaoshu said, “What do you do?” The monk said, “I don’t even see that there are any people; what Buddhism is there to respect?”
We start to see the monk get tripped up, trying to be clever, trying to assume the role of the host now. Zaoshu's present is "respecting Buddhism", the monk tries to use that to reverse the roles.
Zaoshu said, “How long have you been ordained?” The monk said, “Twenty summers.” Zaoshu said, “A fine ‘not seeing that there are any people’!” and he hit him.
Zaoshu is pulling this guy around by his nose now and the monk fails to assume the role of the host. The monk couldn't follow through, he had a dragons's head but a snakes tail. Zaoshu got lucky and the monk failed the test.
In the end Xuedou and Yuanwu leave us with a challenge:
Though Zaoshu carried out the imperative, tell me, where did he “rouse waves without wind”? Let patchrobed monks with eyes try to discern.
"Does the emperor of Han respect Buddhism", this is where the waves were raised. The monk correctly pointed this out, and Yuanwu remarks on this question: "Horns have grown on the head."
When Zaoshu asked "How long have you been ordained?", what should the monk have said in response?
Submitted April 04, 2023 at 02:50PM by moinmoinyo https://ift.tt/49Wsexk
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