Ok, so I may seem a little dense on this. I've read a few koans since I started with this sangha, and I believe I have understood a few of them, but I don't get the one about Nansen and the cat. Jundo's made a reference to this a few times with his "more than one way to skin a cat (or cut it in two)." Here's the koan, just in case though I know you all probably know it:
Nansen saw the monks of the eastern and western halls fighting over a cat. He seized the cat and told the monks: `If any of you say something, you can save the cat.'
No one answered. So Nansen boldly cut the cat in two pieces.
That evening Joshu returned and Nansen told him about this. Joshu removed his sandals and, placing them on his head, walked out.
Nansen said: `If you had been there, you could have saved the cat.'
Soooooooo....why didn't someone just say, "hey, Nansen, seriously.....don't cut the cat in two."? Am I mistranslating this? Is it supposed to say something other than "if you can say something"? And what's up with the sandals? Mu, I feel I understand. Rice cakes, I feel I understand. Nansen cuts the cat in two.....lost as a babe in the woods.
Any ideas????
Nansen saw the monks of the eastern and western halls fighting over a cat. He seized the cat and told the monks: `If any of you say something, you can save the cat.'
No one answered. So Nansen boldly cut the cat in two pieces.
That evening Joshu returned and Nansen told him about this. Joshu removed his sandals and, placing them on his head, walked out.
Nansen said: `If you had been there, you could have saved the cat.'
Soooooooo....why didn't someone just say, "hey, Nansen, seriously.....don't cut the cat in two."? Am I mistranslating this? Is it supposed to say something other than "if you can say something"? And what's up with the sandals? Mu, I feel I understand. Rice cakes, I feel I understand. Nansen cuts the cat in two.....lost as a babe in the woods.
Any ideas????
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