SATORI, OR ACQUIRING ANEW VIEWPOINT
"Go and get your bowls washed," was the immediate
response.Andthissuggestionatonceopenedthemonk'smind
tothetruthofZen.LateronUmmoncommentedontheresponse,saying:"Was
thereany specialinstructioninthisremarkbyJoshu, orwas
therenot?Iftherewas,whatwasit?Iftherewasnot,whatsatori
wasit whichthemonkattained?"Still laterSuiganhad the
followingretortonUmmon:"ThegreatmasterUmmondoes
notknowwhatiswhat;hencethiscommentofhis.Itisaltogether
unnecessary; itislike paintinglegstoasnake,orpaintinga
beardtotheeunuch.Myviewdiffersfromhis.Thatmonkwho
seemstohaveattainedasortofsatorigoestohellasstraightas
anarrow!"
Whatdoesallthismean—Joshu'sremarkaboutwashingthe
bowls,themonk'sattainmentofsatori,Ummon's alternatives,
andSuigan'sassurance?Aretheyspeakingagainstoneanother,
orisit muchadoaboutnothing? Tomymind,they areall
pointingoneway and the monkmay goany'where, but his
satoriisnottonopurpose.
TokusanwasagreatscholaroftheDiamondSutra.Learning
thattherewassuch athing asZen, ignoringallthewritten
scripturesanddirectlylayinghandsonone'ssoul,hewentto
Ryutantobeinstructedintheteaching.OnedayTokusanwas
sittingoutside tr\'ingtolookintothemysteryofZen.Ryutan
said,"W^ydon'tyoucomein?"RepliedTokusan,"Itispitch
dark."AcandlewaslightedandheldouttoTokusan.Whenhe
wasatthepointoftakingitRyutansuddenlyblewoutthelight,
whereuponthemindofTokusanwasopened.
Hyakujo(Pai-chang)wentoutonedayattendinghismasterBaso(Ma-tsu),whentheysawaflockofwildgeeseflying.Baso
asked
:"Whatarethey?"
"Theyarewildgeese,sir."
"Whitheraretheyflying?""Theyhaveflownaway."
Baso,abruptlytakingholdofHyakujo'snose,gaveitatwist.Overcomewithpain,Hyakujocriedout:"Oh!Oh!"
Said Baso, "You say they have flown away, but all the
sametheyhavebeenherefromtheveryfirst."