People are always accusing me of being angry after I call them out for fraud, illiteracy or bigotry of some kind... since this isn't true, since nobody could be as angry as they pretend I am given how much fraud, illiteracy, and bigotry I call out... I began to think about how Western Buddhism is very Gnostic about what they think of as "The Forbidden Emotions"... they believe in attaining a serene state apart from any uncomfortable feeling, even though of course they never met anyone in real life or met anyone who met anyone or read a book about anyone who ever achieved this state.
Then I started thinking about angry-in-translation Zen Masters, that is, translations we have that seem to suggest anger. Here are some examples:
Yunmen
“ When I was on pilgrimage some time ago, there was a bunch of people who gave me explanations. They didn’t have bad intentions, but one day I saw through them [and realized] that they are laughingstocks. If I don’t die in the next four or five years, I’ll get these exterminators of [the Buddha's teaaching] and break their legs.
“These days there are plenty o f temple priests everywhere who fake it: why don’t you go and join them? What dry piece of shit are you looking for in here?’ The Master stepped down from his seat, and he hit and chased the monks out of the hall with his staff.
Elder Ting
Once in Chen Chou, as Elder Ting was returning from a vegetarian feast, he rested on a bridge. There he met three lecturing monks. One of them asked, "What is the meaning of 'Where the river of Ch'an is deep, you must plumb the very bottom'?" Ting grabbed him and was about to throw him off the bridge, when the other two lecturers frantically tried to rescue him, saying, "Stop! Stop! He has offended you, Elder, but we hope you will be merciful." Ting said, "If not for you two, I would have let him plumb the very bottom." BCR 32
Various
Nanquan's Cat Chopping, Juzhi's Finger Chopping, Zhaozhou's No Good Slapping, lots from here https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/wiki/famous_cases seem to suggested at least a little indignation if not anger.
Xuefeng
Xuefeng asked a monk, “It’s said you have served as an imperial emissary—is this so?” The monk said, “I do not presume.” Xuefeng said, “How could you come this way?” The monk said, “Looking up to virtues of the Way, how could I fear barring mountains?” Xuefeng said, “You’re still intoxicated—get out.” The monk then left. Xuefeng then called, “Great Worthy!” The monk turned his head. Xuefeng said, “What is this?” The monk said, “What is this?” Xuefeng said, “This lacquer bucket!”
.
Yo͞ok Welcome! Meet me My comment: Xuefeng was supposedly (according to Blyth I think) a pretty rough and tumble guy; it's recorded that he broke Yunmen's foot. Intoxication and "lacquer bucket" are certainly insults, even if people today don't feel particularly insulted. Is Xuefeng indignant? Irritated?
What's funny about this to me is that I know I use people's anger against them in this forum... when people say things they regret, like this 3 m/o alt that quit the forum recently after I called him out for saying there were "bad people" in r/Zen and that I quoted my "halfwit Zen Masters"... those sounded like things he would regret saying and that he had said them out of anger. Am I using anger though? Or regret? Maybe that's the difference... anger is fine, but regret suggests a mistake that somebody can't admit... which, when you have it, establishes that somebody can't admit things that are obviously true... which guts all claims of integrity.
Buddhists don't like the Nanquan Cat Chopping story so they won't discuss it. I have tried to goad them into talking about whether Nanquan was angry or not when he chopped that cat... it's a very interesting conversation even though Buddhists don't have the courage to take it up.
For me, personally, I'm "easy go lucky" as one of my family members puts it... anger is so much work... I'm just too lazy. Indignation is more common for me... like if the sticker says 1.99 and the cashier rings it up for 9.99. WTF? I'm not buying that!
Maybe it has to do with another theme I've been thinking about lately... true/false v/s fair. I'm not as interested in true/false as I am in fair... is it fair to say something to someone? When is it fair to be angry?
What do you say about it?
Submitted April 08, 2023 at 05:11AM by ewk https://ift.tt/NZsj2uE
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