Dear All,
We will now dive right in to the First Case, Bodhidharma and the Emperor.
As I explained last week, we will read WITHOUT the short, snippy, show-offy, snotty and snide interjections called the "Notes." They are a form of zen 'kibbitzing' (definition). Some can be great, but they are very subjective in opinion, inconsistent, obscure, and (for our purposes) a distraction from the rest of the chapter which is relatively (although not totally) clear and direct. They remind me of a rap battle. They actually did develop from a very similar poetry "slam" game that was popular among Chinese intellectuals back in the day, trying to top each other. Who is going to "drop the mic?"
.
If you want to read the "Notes," do so on your own!!
We will stay with the "Pointer," "Case" and "Commentary."
If you want (optional "extra credit") you can also get into the "Verse" (but, again, without the "Notes" marked "**") and its commentary.
However, do not confuse the "Notes" with the "Translator's Notes" which are at the end of the chapter (marked "a,b,c ... " in the text). Those can be very helpful.
Let's Go! This first Koan is not such a mystery ...
The "Pointer" sets the scene for the case, and contains various images describing how a real master is discerning (e.g., knows there is fire when sees the smoke, knows the 3 when seeing just the 1), and when he cuts off the delusions (the myriad streams of the mind), he moves naturally (like the sun rises and falls), going with the flow, meeting all circumstances and freely (in any direction). Hsueh Tou's "trailing vines" means the trail of words about to follow ...
The "Case" has the emperor, who does many good works for Buddhism to gain merit, being told that, ultimately, there is no "merit" he can get (Because what is to be "gained" if the universe is already a priceless treasure beyond all human measure? When nothing is lacking in the "ultimate," how can something be gained?)! Old BD then says that the great and holy Buddhist teachings ain't holy, and are just Emptiness ... which (in the wholeness of Emptiness transcending small human ideas of opposites like "holy" vs. "ordinary" as well as "gain" vs. "loss" and all other measures) displays their real WONDERFUL HOLINESS, of course!
Bodhidharma's "I don't know" does not mean that Bodhidharma is daft. Nor is it an acceptance of being partly ignorant (even though, of course, we must accept that we cannot know everything in life). Instead, it is actually a declaration of great MOST INTIMATE KNOWING where there is no "I" apart from something apart to "be known." There is just the wholeness of KNOWING, the ultimate KNOWING of the ultimate Wholeness, just who one is! It means freedom from intellectual ideas of names, separate identities, "I" who is not "you" and other divided categories. It is very different from the emperor's "I don't know" in the next paragraph, which is just a regular statement of ignorance.
The "Commentary" should be pretty clear. Bodhidharma brought Zen to China from India. He points to something beyond judgements and comparison (the "absolute"), resulting in freedom and ease even in this world filled with opposites, comparisons, frictions (the "relative"). Both are true at once, so one might say that there is (absolutely) no merit, and yet (in the relative world) there is! This is known as the "two truths" (two ways to know this world) which are actually "not one, not two" (I sometimes say "two sides of a no sided coin.")
It is interesting that Bodhidharma's legend here ends with assassination! It also has a resurrection (kinda like that other religion) where Bodhidharma apparently rose from the grave, and was seen carrying one shoe (the other shoe having been left in his now empty grave!)
I feel that the "Verse" is nicely addressed by its "Commentary," so I will not add anything here except on the phrase "How could the growth of thorns and brambles be avoided?" Bodhidharma came to bring peace and liberation, but it is almost inevitable that doing so brings misunderstanding and troubles with some folks (some of which, apparently, might even want to kill you!)
QUESTIONS FOR YOU (Don't look at others' responses before responding):
I - What would you answer if the emperor asked you, "What's your telephone number?" "How much money do you have in the bank?"
II - Also, was Bodhidharma killed or not killed? Did he return to India? Could he ever leave India?
In responding, try to put yourself in Bodhidharma's shoes ... or shoe.
.
Gassho, J
stlah
We will now dive right in to the First Case, Bodhidharma and the Emperor.
As I explained last week, we will read WITHOUT the short, snippy, show-offy, snotty and snide interjections called the "Notes." They are a form of zen 'kibbitzing' (definition). Some can be great, but they are very subjective in opinion, inconsistent, obscure, and (for our purposes) a distraction from the rest of the chapter which is relatively (although not totally) clear and direct. They remind me of a rap battle. They actually did develop from a very similar poetry "slam" game that was popular among Chinese intellectuals back in the day, trying to top each other. Who is going to "drop the mic?"
.
If you want to read the "Notes," do so on your own!!
We will stay with the "Pointer," "Case" and "Commentary."
If you want (optional "extra credit") you can also get into the "Verse" (but, again, without the "Notes" marked "**") and its commentary.
However, do not confuse the "Notes" with the "Translator's Notes" which are at the end of the chapter (marked "a,b,c ... " in the text). Those can be very helpful.
Let's Go! This first Koan is not such a mystery ...
The "Pointer" sets the scene for the case, and contains various images describing how a real master is discerning (e.g., knows there is fire when sees the smoke, knows the 3 when seeing just the 1), and when he cuts off the delusions (the myriad streams of the mind), he moves naturally (like the sun rises and falls), going with the flow, meeting all circumstances and freely (in any direction). Hsueh Tou's "trailing vines" means the trail of words about to follow ...
The "Case" has the emperor, who does many good works for Buddhism to gain merit, being told that, ultimately, there is no "merit" he can get (Because what is to be "gained" if the universe is already a priceless treasure beyond all human measure? When nothing is lacking in the "ultimate," how can something be gained?)! Old BD then says that the great and holy Buddhist teachings ain't holy, and are just Emptiness ... which (in the wholeness of Emptiness transcending small human ideas of opposites like "holy" vs. "ordinary" as well as "gain" vs. "loss" and all other measures) displays their real WONDERFUL HOLINESS, of course!
Bodhidharma's "I don't know" does not mean that Bodhidharma is daft. Nor is it an acceptance of being partly ignorant (even though, of course, we must accept that we cannot know everything in life). Instead, it is actually a declaration of great MOST INTIMATE KNOWING where there is no "I" apart from something apart to "be known." There is just the wholeness of KNOWING, the ultimate KNOWING of the ultimate Wholeness, just who one is! It means freedom from intellectual ideas of names, separate identities, "I" who is not "you" and other divided categories. It is very different from the emperor's "I don't know" in the next paragraph, which is just a regular statement of ignorance.
The "Commentary" should be pretty clear. Bodhidharma brought Zen to China from India. He points to something beyond judgements and comparison (the "absolute"), resulting in freedom and ease even in this world filled with opposites, comparisons, frictions (the "relative"). Both are true at once, so one might say that there is (absolutely) no merit, and yet (in the relative world) there is! This is known as the "two truths" (two ways to know this world) which are actually "not one, not two" (I sometimes say "two sides of a no sided coin.")
It is interesting that Bodhidharma's legend here ends with assassination! It also has a resurrection (kinda like that other religion) where Bodhidharma apparently rose from the grave, and was seen carrying one shoe (the other shoe having been left in his now empty grave!)
I feel that the "Verse" is nicely addressed by its "Commentary," so I will not add anything here except on the phrase "How could the growth of thorns and brambles be avoided?" Bodhidharma came to bring peace and liberation, but it is almost inevitable that doing so brings misunderstanding and troubles with some folks (some of which, apparently, might even want to kill you!)
QUESTIONS FOR YOU (Don't look at others' responses before responding):
I - What would you answer if the emperor asked you, "What's your telephone number?" "How much money do you have in the bank?"
II - Also, was Bodhidharma killed or not killed? Did he return to India? Could he ever leave India?
In responding, try to put yourself in Bodhidharma's shoes ... or shoe.
.
.
Gassho, J
stlah
Wash your hands! 
.
Comment