Case 60 never ends, and so we jump to Case 61, Kempo's One Stroke ...
This seems almost to be a Koan about Koans ... how explaining something "straight" in logical and intellectual terms might actually be distracting, misleading and roundabout ... while the seemingly indirect allusion, metaphor, shout or gesture is direct to that which directly shoots beyond and right through all words and thoughts.
As Rev. Wick cautions, "The preface warns us that if he says it too clearly, you will begin to think you understand it -- and if your understanding is only conceptual, you will make it into some kind of dogma. It becomes the One Road of My Lineage, or of My Practice, or of My School -- and then we get sectarianism."
This is true. This Light shines through and as all things, all Paths, all Teachings.
However, at the same time, most Zen Teachers and other Buddhists throughout history have implied that their way is the best (or one of the best) ways! Go figure! It is true that there is only One Road to Nirvana, yet while all roads along Buddha Mountain are the mountain, some go in circles, into poison ivy or right off the cliff!
In this Koan there is much symbolism. We might also speak of the "One Road to God", and in his gesture, Ummon's fan rises up and whacks God right on his nose! Enlightenment (Carps turning to Dragons) flows like raining cats and dogs. The fever breaks and the disease of ignorance is cured. One comes back to life right through and beyond all small human distinctions of "life vs. death".
Yamada Koun has some helpful very words (in a talk filled, by the way, with invective about how his Teacher's way is the best way and 'true tradition' in Soto Zen!! See Below **
)...
and
A very cogent description, everybody just trying to do their best ...
Gassho, Jundo
SatToday
** Yamada Roshi writes ...
I agree myself in many ways (and anyway, Jundo Zen is best!) 
This seems almost to be a Koan about Koans ... how explaining something "straight" in logical and intellectual terms might actually be distracting, misleading and roundabout ... while the seemingly indirect allusion, metaphor, shout or gesture is direct to that which directly shoots beyond and right through all words and thoughts.
As Rev. Wick cautions, "The preface warns us that if he says it too clearly, you will begin to think you understand it -- and if your understanding is only conceptual, you will make it into some kind of dogma. It becomes the One Road of My Lineage, or of My Practice, or of My School -- and then we get sectarianism."
This is true. This Light shines through and as all things, all Paths, all Teachings.
However, at the same time, most Zen Teachers and other Buddhists throughout history have implied that their way is the best (or one of the best) ways! Go figure! It is true that there is only One Road to Nirvana, yet while all roads along Buddha Mountain are the mountain, some go in circles, into poison ivy or right off the cliff!
In this Koan there is much symbolism. We might also speak of the "One Road to God", and in his gesture, Ummon's fan rises up and whacks God right on his nose! Enlightenment (Carps turning to Dragons) flows like raining cats and dogs. The fever breaks and the disease of ignorance is cured. One comes back to life right through and beyond all small human distinctions of "life vs. death".
Yamada Koun has some helpful very words (in a talk filled, by the way, with invective about how his Teacher's way is the best way and 'true tradition' in Soto Zen!! See Below **
)...
The monk told Unmon about his
going to Kempô and asking his question and how Kempô responded. He wanted to know what
this was all about and thus asked Unmon. In reply Unmon says what appears in the koan. As
for the “heaven of the thirty-three devas,” there are many heavens in Buddhism as opposed to
the single Christian heaven. There are worlds where the many people who have died in this
world now reside. They are not all heaven, but the place where the most advanced persons
reside is known as heaven, while the lowest place is hell. But even the highest level contains
many variations. The heaven referred to here is the Tusita heaven where the most outstanding
persons reside. Indra (Taishakuten) is something like the boss of that heaven. Unmon says that
his fan jumps up to that heaven and hits the nose of Taishaku. What is he saying with such a
statement? Then he speaks about the carp in the Eastern Sea. When you hit that carp with a
stick it jumps around, and it rains torrents as if a tray of water were overturned. What relation
do these statements have with Kempô’s “here it is”? This is the important point in the koan. It
is sometimes referred to as the true self or Buddha nature or dharma nature. Or sometimes we
say essential nature or essential world. Although it is completely empty, it is simultaneously
the phenomenal world itself. There may be all sorts of movement or disturbances in the
phenomenal world. So when Kempô says “here it is,” he is presenting that movement while at
the same time revealing the essential nature. In Unmon’s case, he is presenting that element of
movement from the aspect of the phenomenal world. However, in addition to being the
phenomenal world it is the world of our true nature. In the phenomenal world, such things as a
fan jumping up to heaven are impossible. But seeing things from the standpoint of the essential
world, we can say such a thing. The same thing holds for the statement about the carp of the
Eastern Sea. In terms of everyday logic, such statements cannot be understood. But our true
self is presented to us directly in this way. Unmon Daishi was a master of the cogent statement,
although he was closer in spirit to the Soto School. You can see both Kenpô and Unmon as
doing their utmost to bring us to a realization of the world of our true nature.
going to Kempô and asking his question and how Kempô responded. He wanted to know what
this was all about and thus asked Unmon. In reply Unmon says what appears in the koan. As
for the “heaven of the thirty-three devas,” there are many heavens in Buddhism as opposed to
the single Christian heaven. There are worlds where the many people who have died in this
world now reside. They are not all heaven, but the place where the most advanced persons
reside is known as heaven, while the lowest place is hell. But even the highest level contains
many variations. The heaven referred to here is the Tusita heaven where the most outstanding
persons reside. Indra (Taishakuten) is something like the boss of that heaven. Unmon says that
his fan jumps up to that heaven and hits the nose of Taishaku. What is he saying with such a
statement? Then he speaks about the carp in the Eastern Sea. When you hit that carp with a
stick it jumps around, and it rains torrents as if a tray of water were overturned. What relation
do these statements have with Kempô’s “here it is”? This is the important point in the koan. It
is sometimes referred to as the true self or Buddha nature or dharma nature. Or sometimes we
say essential nature or essential world. Although it is completely empty, it is simultaneously
the phenomenal world itself. There may be all sorts of movement or disturbances in the
phenomenal world. So when Kempô says “here it is,” he is presenting that movement while at
the same time revealing the essential nature. In Unmon’s case, he is presenting that element of
movement from the aspect of the phenomenal world. However, in addition to being the
phenomenal world it is the world of our true nature. In the phenomenal world, such things as a
fan jumping up to heaven are impossible. But seeing things from the standpoint of the essential
world, we can say such a thing. The same thing holds for the statement about the carp of the
Eastern Sea. In terms of everyday logic, such statements cannot be understood. But our true
self is presented to us directly in this way. Unmon Daishi was a master of the cogent statement,
although he was closer in spirit to the Soto School. You can see both Kenpô and Unmon as
doing their utmost to bring us to a realization of the world of our true nature.
On the Verse:
The hand [of a master veterinarian] cures even a dead horse. The original
Chinese says “entering the hand” (te ni hairu). What enters the hand? “Here it is” enters the hand. And then
he can even bring a dead horse back to life. This is a reference to an old Chinese legend. In olden times there
lived a man name Chôshû who had a most outstanding horse, which unfortunately died. Chôshû was beside
himself with grief. His friend Kakuboku told him he would bring the horse back to life for him. He brought
an animal that looked like a monkey and had it breathe into the nostrils of the dead horse, perhaps in a
process resembling mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And sure enough, the horse revived. When the men looked
around, the monkey was no longer anywhere to be found. This story is mentioned here to indicate how when
“that” is put in the hand, it can revive even a dead horse.
The soul-reviving incense will make you rise from the peril. The
“soul-reviving incense” had a very fine fragrance. There is also a story behind this line of the
verse. Long ago, an epidemic ravaged the land, claiming many lives. But when this incense was
lit and the fine fragrance wafted in the air, people who had died three days before returned to
life. It was an ethereal fragrance with the power to revive people from the dead. If you truly
realize what the fragrance stands for, your true life will be in your hands. But you must clearly
realize Kempô’s “here it is” and Unmon’s talk about the fan jumping up into heaven. The
“soul-reviving incense” will bring you back to life, in the sense of giving you your true life.
If you once sweat with your entire body,
You will believe that he has never spared the eyebrows. It’s often said that
sweating will cure you of a fever. It is like sweating the fever out of your entire body. The word
“he” in the final line is referring to Unmon. It means that he is willing to spare his eyebrows
and look strange out of his great compassion to save all beings. Although he might look quite
unsightly when observed from the side, he even forgets that and does not regret losing his
eyebrows. ...
Today’s Verse is saying that there are cases where the teacher does not regret even
losing his eyebrows for bad preaching, so great is his compassion for his students. Thus, from
the real standpoint we can say that Kempô’s statement “here it is” is not the very best method
of delivering a preaching. That’s all the more the truth concerning Unmon. His method seems
to be saying all sorts of strange things to confuse people so that, from one standpoint, it’s true
that it’s not so admirable. Thus there have been short critical comments in koan collections
that contain this koan, which say things to that effect. In other words, one can well understand
that both masters are doing their very best, but it remains short of the genuine article. Such
views are possible. Be that as it may, the masters are so filled with a desire to bring people to
an awareness of this true fact, that they publicly embarrass themselves.
The hand [of a master veterinarian] cures even a dead horse. The original
Chinese says “entering the hand” (te ni hairu). What enters the hand? “Here it is” enters the hand. And then
he can even bring a dead horse back to life. This is a reference to an old Chinese legend. In olden times there
lived a man name Chôshû who had a most outstanding horse, which unfortunately died. Chôshû was beside
himself with grief. His friend Kakuboku told him he would bring the horse back to life for him. He brought
an animal that looked like a monkey and had it breathe into the nostrils of the dead horse, perhaps in a
process resembling mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And sure enough, the horse revived. When the men looked
around, the monkey was no longer anywhere to be found. This story is mentioned here to indicate how when
“that” is put in the hand, it can revive even a dead horse.
The soul-reviving incense will make you rise from the peril. The
“soul-reviving incense” had a very fine fragrance. There is also a story behind this line of the
verse. Long ago, an epidemic ravaged the land, claiming many lives. But when this incense was
lit and the fine fragrance wafted in the air, people who had died three days before returned to
life. It was an ethereal fragrance with the power to revive people from the dead. If you truly
realize what the fragrance stands for, your true life will be in your hands. But you must clearly
realize Kempô’s “here it is” and Unmon’s talk about the fan jumping up into heaven. The
“soul-reviving incense” will bring you back to life, in the sense of giving you your true life.
If you once sweat with your entire body,
You will believe that he has never spared the eyebrows. It’s often said that
sweating will cure you of a fever. It is like sweating the fever out of your entire body. The word
“he” in the final line is referring to Unmon. It means that he is willing to spare his eyebrows
and look strange out of his great compassion to save all beings. Although he might look quite
unsightly when observed from the side, he even forgets that and does not regret losing his
eyebrows. ...
Today’s Verse is saying that there are cases where the teacher does not regret even
losing his eyebrows for bad preaching, so great is his compassion for his students. Thus, from
the real standpoint we can say that Kempô’s statement “here it is” is not the very best method
of delivering a preaching. That’s all the more the truth concerning Unmon. His method seems
to be saying all sorts of strange things to confuse people so that, from one standpoint, it’s true
that it’s not so admirable. Thus there have been short critical comments in koan collections
that contain this koan, which say things to that effect. In other words, one can well understand
that both masters are doing their very best, but it remains short of the genuine article. Such
views are possible. Be that as it may, the masters are so filled with a desire to bring people to
an awareness of this true fact, that they publicly embarrass themselves.
A very cogent description, everybody just trying to do their best ...
Gassho, Jundo
SatToday
** Yamada Roshi writes ...
I’m sorry to
speak badly of the modern-day Soto School, but since our Sanbô-Kyôdan is in the Soto tradition,
Yasutani Roshi said that we had separated from the Soto School and established a direct
connection with Dôgen Zenji to create the Sanbô-Kyôdan. I believe that is only natural to say so.
Few are those who would be able like Yasutani Roshi to say things so straightforwardly
without mincing words. ... I am always feeling, as I have said before many times, that if Dôgen Zenji were
to be reborn and visit Eiheiji [the temple Dogen founded, and Head Temple of the Soto School], he would be driven away with abuse: “This is no place for you!
Get out of here!”
speak badly of the modern-day Soto School, but since our Sanbô-Kyôdan is in the Soto tradition,
Yasutani Roshi said that we had separated from the Soto School and established a direct
connection with Dôgen Zenji to create the Sanbô-Kyôdan. I believe that is only natural to say so.
Few are those who would be able like Yasutani Roshi to say things so straightforwardly
without mincing words. ... I am always feeling, as I have said before many times, that if Dôgen Zenji were
to be reborn and visit Eiheiji [the temple Dogen founded, and Head Temple of the Soto School], he would be driven away with abuse: “This is no place for you!
Get out of here!”
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