Case 70 never ends, and so we grow Case 71, Suigan's Eyebrows ...
It is said that, if one preaches a false Teaching, one's eyebrows will fall out. On the other hand, a wise sage will have exceptionally long eyebrows. So, Suigan asked his Dharma Brothers how his summer Teachings were during a Retreat by asking if he had any eyebrows left.
The responses by his Brothers are open to some interpretation, but might be something like "yes" "no" "hard to say (or something like "it ain't a matter of winning or losing")"
The Preface seems to imply the a Teacher, no matter how much he or she tries to explain Zen, must make a mess of it and sully him/herself. Thus, he "stains his own mouth" with blood. It is a losing game in which one ends up springing for others' bar tab and with little to show for it in the end (the image of paying others' debts, left with no death money oneself). But then the author of the Book of Serenity (Bansho) asks whether he managed to break even nonetheless.
The appreciatory verse seems to praise Teachers who are confident and contrast them with those who are not, those who truly do their thing versus those who just are superficial.
Personally, I take this Koan as referring to a Teacher who must just do his or her own thing to Teach, be sincere and let the chips fall where they may. (It reminds me a bit about the conflicting criticism Treeleaf sometimes get: I have been told by some folks that it is too traditional, but others have said it is too modern and liberal. Some have said it is too Japanese, others that it is too Western. I have been told that things I write are too clear for a Zen guy and I say too much, others say my words are too mysterious and hard to understand). There is an English saying, "Ya can't win for losing", you just can't win.
I suppose that, for all of us, there comes a time when we just have to have confidence in our Practice, wihout looking for outside opinions and confirmation. You can judge the length of your own eyebrows without asking anyone else.
Did my eyebrows fall out in handling this Koan?
How would you rate what I said on a scale of 1 to 10? 
Gassho, J
SatToday
It is said that, if one preaches a false Teaching, one's eyebrows will fall out. On the other hand, a wise sage will have exceptionally long eyebrows. So, Suigan asked his Dharma Brothers how his summer Teachings were during a Retreat by asking if he had any eyebrows left.
The responses by his Brothers are open to some interpretation, but might be something like "yes" "no" "hard to say (or something like "it ain't a matter of winning or losing")"
The Preface seems to imply the a Teacher, no matter how much he or she tries to explain Zen, must make a mess of it and sully him/herself. Thus, he "stains his own mouth" with blood. It is a losing game in which one ends up springing for others' bar tab and with little to show for it in the end (the image of paying others' debts, left with no death money oneself). But then the author of the Book of Serenity (Bansho) asks whether he managed to break even nonetheless.
The appreciatory verse seems to praise Teachers who are confident and contrast them with those who are not, those who truly do their thing versus those who just are superficial.
Personally, I take this Koan as referring to a Teacher who must just do his or her own thing to Teach, be sincere and let the chips fall where they may. (It reminds me a bit about the conflicting criticism Treeleaf sometimes get: I have been told by some folks that it is too traditional, but others have said it is too modern and liberal. Some have said it is too Japanese, others that it is too Western. I have been told that things I write are too clear for a Zen guy and I say too much, others say my words are too mysterious and hard to understand). There is an English saying, "Ya can't win for losing", you just can't win.
I suppose that, for all of us, there comes a time when we just have to have confidence in our Practice, wihout looking for outside opinions and confirmation. You can judge the length of your own eyebrows without asking anyone else.
Did my eyebrows fall out in handling this Koan?
How would you rate what I said on a scale of 1 to 10? Gassho, J
SatToday
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