Blue Cliff Record, Case 13

A monk asked Baling, “What is the school of Kanadeva?”

Baling said, “Piling up snow in a silver bowl.”

Background & Reflections

Baling Haojian, a monk of the Five Dynasty era (907-60), was an eccentric known for always carrying around a tattered sitting-cloth. He studied under Yunmen Wenyan and eventually succeeded to his dharma.  In those days, at the time of his transmission, a student submitted a written exposition of his understanding. Baling submitted the following three questions or koans and their answers.“

What is the Way?

The master said, “A clear-eyed man falls into a well.”

***

“What is the Blown-hair Sword?” [1]

That master said, “Branches of coral support the moon.”

***

“What is the Tipo school?” [2]

The master said, “A silver bowl filled with snow.”

***

When Yunmen read Baling’s questions and answers he was very pleased. He said to Baling, “On the anniversary of my death, simply recite these Three Turning Phrases. That will suffice to repay my kindness.” Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 12

A monk asked Tung-shan, “What is Buddha?”

Tung-shan said, “Three pounds of hemp.”

Reflections
So what do you make of this koan? What the hell are they talking about? It sounds like a game. “What is Buddha?” Everybody knows. It’s like asking, “What is rain?” And then the answer, “Three pounds of hemp.”

What nonsense! Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 11
Huang Po, instructing the community, said, “All of you people are gobblers of dregs; if you go on traveling around this way, where will you have Today? Do you know that there are no teachers of Ch’an in all of China?”

At that time a monk came forward and said, “Then what about those in various places who order followers and lead communities?”

Huang Po said, “I do not say that there is no Ch’an, it’s just that there are no teachers.”

Reflections
Just to remind you, Huangbo is the great zen master who lived at the same time as many other zen masters such as Chao-chou, Nanquan and Mazu (who was his teacher). Perhaps his most famous student was Linchi, known as Rinzai in Japanese, who of course was the founder of the Rinzai school of Zen. So in a sense Huangbo is responsible for the Rinzai school. Continue reading →

Art by Mark Morse

Mu Chou asked a monk, “Where have you just come from?”

The monk immediately shouted.

Mu Chou said, “I’ve been shouted at by you once.”

Again the monk shouted.

Mu Chou said, “After three or four shouts, then what?”

The monk had nothing to say.

Mu Chou then hit him and said, “What a thieving phony you are!”

Notes

Mu Chou is the disciple and attendant of Huangbo. He was the one who goaded Linchi to meet with Master Huangbo. He asked Linchi, “How long have you been in the monastery?”

Linchi said, “I’ve been here for three years.”

“And how often do you meet with master Huangbo,” asked Mu Chou.

“I haven’t met him even once.”

“What,” said Mu Chou, “Why not?

“I’m afraid to. I hear he’s rough with his students. He shouts at them and he beats them with his stick.” Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 9
A monk asked Chao-chou, “What is Chao-chou?”

Chao-chou replied, “East Gate, west gate, south gate, north gate.”

From EK 9.21
A monk asked Chao-chou, “What is Chao-chou?”

Chao-chou said, “East gate, south gate, west gate, north gate.”

The monk said, “That is not what I asked.”

Chao-chou said, “Didn’t you ask about Chao-chou?”

Dogen’s Poem:

Chao-chou once received a monk’s inquiry,
And for him mentioned east, west, south, north gates.
The four points lined up seem to make Chao-chou.
The great doubt; where can we find the original source? Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 8

At the end of the summer retreat Ts’ui Yen said to the community, “All summer long I’ve been talking to you brothers; look and see if my eyebrows are still there.”

Pao Fu said, “The thief’s heart is cowardly.”

Ch’ang Ch’ing said, “Grown.”

Yun Men said, “A barrier.”

Background and some Questions
Players in this koan are:

• Ts’ui Yen (Suigan)
• Pao Fu (Hafuku)
• Ch’ang Ch’ing (Chokei)
• Yun Men (Ummon)

All four are disciples of Xuefeng Yicun (Hsueh-feng I-ts’un) (Seppo). Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 7
A monk (named Hui Ch’ao) asked Fa Yen,

“Hui Ch’ao asks the teacher: What is Buddha?”

Fa Yen said, “You are Hui Ch’ao.”

Here is another version of this koan:

Guizong Cezhen was a disciple of Fayan. His dharma name was Hui Ch’ao which means “Surpassing Wisdom.”

Guizong’s first Dharma name was “Hui Ch’ao.”

Upon first meeting Fayan, he asked, “Hui Ch’ao inquires of the master, What is Buddha?”

Fayan said, “You are Surpassing Wisdom.”

At these words Guizong entered enlightenment.

Later, Guizong Hui Ch’ao became Fayan’s dharma heir and he was asked: A monk asked Zen master Guizong,

“What is Buddha?”

Guizong said, “When I tell you it becomes something else.”

Reflections
You all know that the words I just read are called in zen practice a koan. However, the word koan used to describe the above question and answer does not really describe what the dialogue between student and master is all about. Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 6
Yun Men said, “I don’t ask you about before the fifteenth day; try to say something about after the fifteenth day.”

Yun Men himself answered for everyone, “Every day is a good day.”

Hoffman translation
Master Unmon said, “About the fifteen days before [i.e. before enlightenment] I do not ask you. Now that fifteen days have passed, come, say something.” Nobody answered. Unmon himself said, “Every day is a good day.” Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 4

When Te Shan arrived at Kuei Shan, he carried his bundle with him into the teaching hall, where he crossed from east to west and from west to east. He looked around and said, “There’s nothing, no one.” Then he went out.

Hsueh Tou added the comment, “Completely exposed.”

But when Te Shan got to the monastery gate, he said, “Still I shouldn’t be so coarse.” So he reentered [the hall] with full ceremony to meet [Kuei Shan]. As Kuei Shan sat there, Te Shan held up his sitting mat and said, “Teacher!” Kuei Shan reached for his whisk, whereupon Te Shan shouted, shook out his sleeves, and left. Hsueh Tou added the comment,  

“Completely exposed.” Te Shan turned his back on the teaching hall, put on his straw sandals, and departed.

That evening Kuei Shan asked the head monk, “Where is that newcomer who just came?”

The head monk answered, “At that time he turned his back on the teaching hall, put on his straw sandals, and departed.”

Kuei Shan said, “Hereafter that lad will go to the summit of a solitary peak, build himself a grass hut, and go on scolding the Buddhas and reviling the Patriarchs.” Hsueh Tou added the comment, “He adds frost to snow.”  Continue reading →

Blue Cliff Record, Case 3
Great Master Ma was unwell. The temple superintendent asked him, “Teacher, how has your venerable health been in recent days?”

The Great Master said, “Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha.”

Background
Master Ma is the great seminal Zen Master Mazu. Here is how he is introduced in the Dentoroku (186).

Master Tao I (Ma Tsu) of the south of the River was a man from Shih Fang Province of Han State. His surname was Ma, and his appearance was strange. When he spread out his tongue it covered his nose, and he had two wheel-shaped marks on his feet. He walked like and ox and looked at things like a tiger. When young, he had his head shaved by Venerable T’ang Ho of Tzu State, and he received the Complete Precepts from Vinaya Master Yuan. During the era of K’ai Yuan (713-741 A.D.) of the T’ang dynasty he practiced Ch’an samadhi at Ch’uan Fa Temple of Heng Mountain, where he met with master Huai Jang. He became one of the nine monks under this master, but was the only one of them who received the secret spiritual seal. Continue reading →