Stefano Mui Barragato

Blue Cliff Record, Case 1 Emperor Wu of Liang asked the great master Bodhidharma, “What is the highest meaning of the holy truths?” Bodhidharma said, “Empty, without holiness.” The Emperor said, “Who is facing me?” Bodhidharma replied, “I don’t know.” The Emperor did not understand. After this Bodhidharma crossed the Yangste River and came to…

Blue Cliff Record, Case 2Chao-chou, teaching the assembly, said, “The Ultimate Path is without difficulty; just avoid picking and choosing. As soon as there are words spoken, ‘this is picking and choosing,’ ‘this is clarity. This old monk does not abide within clarity; do you still preserve anything or not?” At that time a certain…

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).…

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…

Blue Cliff Record, Case 5 Hsueh Feng, teaching his community, said, “Pick up the whole great earth in your fingers, and it’s as big as a grain of rice. Throw it down before you: if, like a lacquer bucket, you don’t understand, I’ll beat the drum to call everyone to look.” Reflections Xuefeng Yicun (822-908)…

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…

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…

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…