Blue Cliff Record (Case 8) Ts'ui Yen's Eyebrows

[ZenJay]

Yes and no… it’s all about perception. Some students will grasp what he has said, others will think he is a fool and not grasp what was said, while some recognize and see through the duality of this or that, right and wrong, eyebrows or no eyebrows, grasping and non-grasping… This is the student who truly understands the teachings.

Gassho,
Jay

Sat/lah today

[Anthony]

QUESTION: Of course, we are not told anything about what Ts'ui Yen taught during all his talks during Ango. So, how are we to judge? Does he have his eyebrows or not?

I think to some of his students he has his eyebrows and to some he does not. Teachings should vary according to the person and according to the time and place. Pao Fu doubts Ts'ui Yen so he is not seeing eyebrows. Ch'ang Ch'ing is too sure of himself, so he is mistakenly seeing eyebrows that aren't there. Yun Men sees eyebrows. I can't explain why I feel this way about the three students.

Gassho,
Anthony
satlah

[Tokan]

Hi all

I'm coming to this thread a bit late, but I've been mulling over this one. There are many things you could take from this, and some have already been nicely commented on. I only wish to speak simply on this as it seems to me it would be easy to get pretty technical and intellectualise it, however...

"All summer long I've been talking to you, brothers; look and see if my eyebrows are still there."

For me, it is not a matter of whether his eyebrows are still there, but whether his students can see them or not (after Ango).

Gassho, Tokan

satlah