14. Nansen Cuts the Cat in Two

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 a good word, 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.”

Mumon’s comment: Why did Joshu put his sandals on his head? If anyone answers this question, he will understand exactly how Nansen enforced the edict. If not, he should watch his own head.

Had Joshu been there,
He would have enforced the edict oppositely.
Joshu snatches the sword
And Nansen begs for his life.

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

13. Tokusan Holds His Bowl

Tokusan went to the dining room from the meditation hall holding his bowl. Seppo was on duty cooking. When he met Tokusan he said: “The dinner drum is not yet beaten. Where are you going with your bowl?”

So Tokusan returned to his room.

Seppo told Ganto about this. Ganto said: “Old Tokusan did not understand ultimate truth.”

Tokusan heard of this remark and asked Ganto to come to him. “I have heard,” he said, “you are not approving my Zen.” Ganto admitted this indirectly. Tokusan said nothing.

The next day Tokusan delivered an entirely different kind of lecture to the monks. Ganto laughed and clapped his hands, saying: “I see our old man understands ultimate truth indeed. None in China can surpass him.”

Mumon’s comment: 

Speaking about ultimate truth, both Ganto and Tokusan did not even dream it. After all, they are dummies.Whoever understands the first truth
Should understand the ultimate truth. 
The last and first,
Are they not the same?

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

12. Zuigan Calls His Own Master

Zuigan called out to himself every day: “Master.”

Then he answered himself: “Yes, sir.”

And after that he added: “Become sober.”

Again he answered: “Yes, sir.”

“And after that,” he continued, “do not be deceived by others.”

“Yes, sir; yes, sir,” he answered.

Mumon’s comment: Old Zuigan sells out and buys himself. He is opening a puppet show. He uses one mask to call “Master” and another that answers the master. Another mask says “Sober up” and another, “Do not be cheated by others.” If anyone clings to any of his masks, he is mistaken, yet if he imitates Zuigan, he will make himself fox-like.

Some Zen students do not realize the true man in a mask
Because they recognize ego-soul.
Ego-soul is the seed of birth and death,
And foolish people call it the true man.

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

11. Joshu Examines a Monk in Meditation

Joshu went to a place where a monk had retired to meditate and asked him: “What is, is what?”

The monk raised his fist.

Joshu replied: “Ships cannot remain where the water is too shallow.” And he left.

A few days later Joshu went again to visit the monk and asked the same question.

The monk answered the same way.

Joshu said: “Well given, well taken, well killed, well saved.” And he bowed to the monk.

Mumon’s comment: The raised fist was the same both times. Why is it Joshu did not admit the first and approved the second one? Where is the fault?

Whoever answers this knows that Joshu’s tongue has no bone so he can use it freely. Yet perhaps Joshu is wrong. Or, through that monk, he may have discovered his mistake.

If anyone thinks that the one’s insight exceeds the other’s, he has no eyes.

The light of the eyes is as a comet,
And Zen’s activity is as lightning.
The sword that kills the man
Is the sword that saves the man.

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

9. A Buddha before History

A monk asked Seijo: “I understand that a Buddha who lived before recorded history sat in meditation for ten cycles of existence and could not realize the highest truth, and so could not become fully emancipated. Why was this so?”

Seijo replied: “Your question is self-explanatory.”

The monk asked: “Since the Buddha was meditating, why could he not fulfill Buddhahood?”

Seijo said: “He was not a Buddha.”

Mumon’s comment: I will allow his realization, but I will not admit his understanding. When one ignorant attains realization he is a saint. When a saint begins to understand he is ignorant.It is better to realize mind than body.
When mind is realized one need not worry about body.
When mind and body become one
The man is free. Then he desires no praising.

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

7. Joshu Washes the Bowl

A monk told Joshu: “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”

Joshu asked: “Have you eaten your rice porridge?”

The monk replied: “I have eaten.”

Joshu said: “Then you had better wash your bowl.”

At that moment the monk was enlightened.

Mumon’s comment: Joshu is the man who opens his mouth and shows his heart. I doubt if this monk really saw Joshu’s heart. I hope he did not mistake the bell for a pitcher.It is too clear and so it is hard to see.
A dunce once searched for a fire with a lighted lantern.
Had he known what fire was,
He could have cooked his rice much sooner.

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

Start Again

“Start Again” was the message in the 10-day Vipassana retreat we came to meditate in the hall. Today, I start again with more Buddhists quotes from later teachers who have been recognized as enlightened. Starting with

The Gateless Gate, by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934], at sacred-texts.com

5. Kyogen Mounts the Tree

Kyogen said: “Zen is like a man hanging in a tree by his teeth over a precipice. His hands grasp no branch, his feet rest on no limb, and under the tree another person asks him: ‘Why did Bodhidharma come to China from India?’

“If the man in the tree does not answer, he fails; and if he does answer, he falls and loses his life. Now what shall he do?”

Mumon’s comment: In such a predicament the most talented eloquence is of no use. If you have memorized all the sutras, you cannot use them. When you can give the right answer, even though your past road was one of death, you open up a new road of life. But if you cannot answer, you should live ages hence and ask the future Buddha, Maitreya.

Kyogen is truly a fool
Spreading that ego-killing poison
That closes his pupils’ mouths
And lets their tears stream from their dead eyes.

https://sacred-texts.com/bud/glg/glg05.htm

Three Things Which Shine Forth

Monks, there are these three things which shine forth for all to see, which are not hidden. Which three?

The disc of the moon shines for all to see; it is not hidden. The disc of the sun does likewise. The Dhamma-Discipline [dhamma-vinaya] of a Tathagata [Buddha] shines for all to see; it is not hidden. These are the three things.

Source: The Pali Text Society’s Gradual Sayings Volume 1, Book of Threes – Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 (CC BY-NC 3.0) licence. 

The Ten Pāramī

1. Dāna pāramī : generosity, giving of oneself
2. Sīla pāramī : virtue, morality, proper conduct
3. Nekkhamma pāramī : renunciation
4. Paññā pāramī : transcendental wisdom, insight, discernment
5. Viriya pāramī : energy, diligence, vigour, effort
6. Khanti pāramī : patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance
7. Sacca pāramī : truthfulness, honesty
8. Adhiṭṭhāna pāramī : determination, resolution
9. Mettā pāramī : goodwill, friendliness, loving-kindness
10. Upekkhā pāramī : equanimity, serenity

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81ramit%C4%81

Comment: If you just landed here, we’ve explored the above over the past 10 blog posts.

Upekkhā pāramī : equanimity, serenity

To practice upekkha is to be unwavering or to stay neutral in the face of the eight vicissitudes of life—which are otherwise known as the eight worldly winds or eight worldly conditions: loss and gain, good-repute and ill-repute, praise and censure, and sorrow and happiness (the Attha Loka Dhamma).^[1]

The “far enemy” of Upekkha is greed and resentment, mind-states in obvious opposition. The “near enemy” (the quality which superficially resembles upekkha but which subtly opposes it), is indifference or apathy.^[2]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upekkha