that if you took all such stories entirely seriously, you would miss the
point as often as you would get it.
Achilles: Maybe there's something to your Tortoise-Zen.
Tortoise: Can you answer just one question for me? I would like to know
this: Why did Bodhidharma come from India into China?
Achilles: Oho! Shall I tell you whatJoshii said when he was asked that very
question?
Tortoise: Please do.
Achilles: He replied, "That oak tree in the garden."
Tortoise: Of course; that's just what I would have said. Except that I would
have said it in answer to a different question-namely, "Where can I
find some shade from the midday sun?"
Achilles: Without knowing it, you have inadvertently hit upon one of the
basic questions of all Zen. That question, innocent though it sounds,
actually means, "What is the basic principle of Zen?"
Tortoise: How extraordinary. I hadn't the slightest idea that the central
aim of Zen was to find some shade.
Achilles: Oh, no-you've misunderstood me entirely. I wasn't referring to
THAT question. I meant your question about why Bodhidharma came
from India into China.
Tortoise: I see. Well, I had no idea that I was getting into such deep waters.
But let's come back to this curious mapping. I gather that any koan can
be turned into a folded string by following the method you outlined.
Now what about the reverse process? Can any folded string be read in
such a way as to yield a koan?
Achilles: Well, in a way. However ...
Tortoise: What's wrong?
Achilles: You're just not supposed to do it that way 'round. It would violate
the Central Dogma of Zen strings, you see, which is contained in this
picture (picks up a napkin and draws):koan ~ messenger ~ folded string
transcription translationYou're not supposed to go against the arrows-especially not the
second one.
Tortoise: Tell me, does this Dogma have Buddha-nature, or not? Come to
think of it, I think I'll unask the question. Is that all right?
Achilles: I am glad you unasked the question. But-I'll let you in on a
secret. Promise you won't tell anyone?
Tortoise: Tortoise's honor.
Achilles: Well, once in a while, I actually do go against the arrows. I get
sort of an illicit thrill out of it, I guess.
Tortoise: Why, Achilles! I had no idea you would do something so irrever-
ent!
Achilles: I've never confessed it to anyone before-not even Okanisama.
238 A Mu Offering