V ZenaHigherAffirmation
Ohuzan(Shou-shan,926-992)oncehelduphisshippedtoan
assemblyofhisdisciplesanddeclared:"Callthisashippeandyou
assert;callitnotashippeandyounegate.Now,donotassertnor
negate,andwhatwouldyoucadiit?Speak,speak!"Oneofthe
disciplescameoutoftheranks,tooktheshippeawayfromthe
maister,andbreakingitintwo,exclaimed,"Whatisthis?"
Tothosewhoareusedtodealingwithabstractionsandhigh
subjectsthismayappeartobequiteatrivialmatter,forwhat
havethey,deeplearnedphilosophers,todowithaninsignificant
pieceofbamboo?Howdoesitconcernthosescholarswhoare
absorbedindeepmeditation,whetheritiscalledabamboostick
ornot,whetheritisbroken,orthrownonthefloor?Buttothe
followers ofZenthisdeclarationby Shuzanispregnantwith
meaning.Letusreallyrealizethestateofhismindinwhichhe
proposedthisquestion,andwehaveattainedourfirstentrance
into the realm ofZen. There were many Zen masterswho
followed Shuzan's example, and, holding forth their shippe,
demandedoftheirpupilsasatisfactoryanswer.
Tospeakintheabstract,whichperhapswillbemoreaccept-
abletomostreaders,theideaistoreachahigheraffirmation
thanthelogicalantithesisofassertionanddenial.Ordinarily,wedarenotgobeyondanantithesisjustbecauseweimaginewe
cannot.Logichassointimidatedusthatweshrinkandshiver
wheneveritsnameismentioned.Themindmadetowork,ever
sincetheawakeningoftheintellect,underthestrictestdiscipline
oflogical dualism,refusestoshakeoflTitsimaginarycangue.It
hasneveroccurredtousthatitispossibleforustoescapethisself-imposed intellectual limitation; indeed, unless we break
throughtheantithesisof"yes"and"no"wecanneverhopeto
liveareallifeoffreedom.Andthesoulhasalwaysbeencrying
^Astickaboutoneandahalffeetlong,madeofsplitbamboobound
withratan.Tobepronouncedship-pei.