An introduction to Zen Buddhism

AN INTRODUCTION TO ZEN BUDDHISM

sameproblem.Hisanswerwas,"Isometimesmakeoneraisethe

eyebrows, orwink,whileatothertimestodosoisaltogether

wrong."Yakusanatoncecomprehendedtheultimatepurport

ofthisremark.WhenBasoasked, "Whatmakesyoucometo

this?"Yakusanreplied,"WhenIwaswithSekito,itwaslike

amosquitobitingatanironbull."Wasthisasatisfactoryreason

orexplanation?Howstrangethisso-calledaffirmation!

Riko(Li K'u), a high government officerofthe T'ang

dynasty,askedNansen(Nan-chuan):"Alongtimeagoaman

keptagooseinabottle.Itgrewlargerandlargeruntilitcould

notgetoutofthebottleanymore;hedidnotwanttobreakthe

bottle,nordidhewishtohurtthegoose;howwouldyougetit

out?"Themastercalledout,"OOfficer!"—towhichRikoat

onceresponded,"Yes!""There,itisout!"Thiswastheway

Nansenproducedthegooseoutofitsimprisonment.DidRikoget

hishigheraffirmation?

Kyogen(Hsiang-yen)^said:"Supposeamanclimbingup

atreetakesholdofabranchbyhisteeth,andhiswholebodyis

thussuspended.Hishandsarenotholdinganythingandhisfeet

areofftheground.Nowanothermancomesalongandasksthe

maninthetreeastothefundamentalprincipleofBuddhism.

Ifthemaninthetreedoesnotanswer, heis neglectingthe

questioner;butifhetriestoanswerhewilllosehislife;howcan

hegetoutofhispredicament?"Whilethisisputintheformof

afableitspurportislikethosealreadymentioned.Ifyouopen

yourmouthtryingtoaffirmortonegate,youarelost.Zenisno

morethere.Butmerelyremainingsilentwillnotdo,either.A

stonelyingthereissilent,aflowerinbloomunderthewindowis

silent,butneitherofthemunderstandsZen.Theremustbea

certainwayinwhichsilenceand eloquencebecomeidentical,

thatis,wherenegationandassertionareunifiedinahigherform

ofstatement.WhenweattaintothisweknowZen.

What, then, is an absolute affirmative statement? When

Hyakujo(Pai-chang,720-814)wishedtodecidewhowouldbe

thenextchiefofTai-kuei-shanmonastery,hecalledintwoofhis

chiefdisciples,andproducingapitcher,whichaBuddhistmonk

generallycarriesabouthim,saidtothem,"Donotcallitapitcher

*AyoungercontemporaryofKuei-shan(771-853).