¡ʇuǝɯǝʇɐʇS uʍop-ǝpᴉsd∩ uɐ ɹoɟ ǝɯᴉ┴ 'sɹǝɟɐǝ˥ ᴉH
This continues from our last Koan, the appropriate statement of Yun-men.
In the POINTER, we again encounter Manjushri's Sword of Wisdom which does not cut in two and kill, but rather "uncuts" into Wholeness beyond life and death. Better said, it uncuts into something vibrant that is non-death. However, even so, here we are still in this world of life and death. All true at once!
In the CASE, a monk asks Yun-Men about some "it" that is beyond intellectual thoughts and present separate things/phenomena in the world. This is kind of a mistake perhaps, because too lost in emptiness, and "reifying" (making into a concrete thing) this "emptiness." Several commentators suggest that Yun-men then wishes to point the monk back to the fact that Emptiness is not a "thing" or "it," but is also this world of thoughts, things and phenomena too. So, he responds with something like that such a statement by the monk has it "ass backwards" or is too one sided.
In the VERSE, the divided token is like those love charms that two friends split, again, not seeing the whole picture ...
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This continues from our last Koan, the appropriate statement of Yun-men.
In the POINTER, we again encounter Manjushri's Sword of Wisdom which does not cut in two and kill, but rather "uncuts" into Wholeness beyond life and death. Better said, it uncuts into something vibrant that is non-death. However, even so, here we are still in this world of life and death. All true at once!
In the CASE, a monk asks Yun-Men about some "it" that is beyond intellectual thoughts and present separate things/phenomena in the world. This is kind of a mistake perhaps, because too lost in emptiness, and "reifying" (making into a concrete thing) this "emptiness." Several commentators suggest that Yun-men then wishes to point the monk back to the fact that Emptiness is not a "thing" or "it," but is also this world of thoughts, things and phenomena too. So, he responds with something like that such a statement by the monk has it "ass backwards" or is too one sided.
In the VERSE, the divided token is like those love charms that two friends split, again, not seeing the whole picture ...
.
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Gassho, J
stlah
The lines about the 84,000 disciples, the "phoenix feathers" (based on a Chinese saying about disappointing children), the 33 men (a reference to the first 33 Zen Ancestors up to Bodhidharma) and the tiger's den likely means something like "All the Buddha's many disciples argued and tried this and that but missed the mark until the Zen folks came along." 
The moon in the water is a traditional symbol of the Wholeness of Emptiness (the Moon) which is found reflected and fully held in each broken up wave and churning ripple of this broken up, divided world.
ASSIGNMENT: In emptiness, statements have no subject object or sense of time ("I go to the store" has a subject separate from object and a sense of time in doing.) Can you write one sentence that has no subject, object or time? (HINT: ANY sentence you write with a subject, object and time was always free of subject, object and time even if you don't realize so. The trick is however, that you have to realize so ... or otherwise it is just an ordinary sentence with subject-object and time. ) Thus, please write this sentence.
.
The moon in the water is a traditional symbol of the Wholeness of Emptiness (the Moon) which is found reflected and fully held in each broken up wave and churning ripple of this broken up, divided world.ASSIGNMENT: In emptiness, statements have no subject object or sense of time ("I go to the store" has a subject separate from object and a sense of time in doing.) Can you write one sentence that has no subject, object or time? (HINT: ANY sentence you write with a subject, object and time was always free of subject, object and time even if you don't realize so. The trick is however, that you have to realize so ... or otherwise it is just an ordinary sentence with subject-object and time. ) Thus, please write this sentence.
.
Gassho, J
stlah
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