Not too much more; too much more (A reprise)

Blue Cliff Record:  Case 101

Jitsu Strikes the Cast Iron Bath Tub

 Pointer

In explaining the Dharma, there is neither explanation nor teaching, in listening to the Dharma, there is neither hearing nor attainment.  Since explanation neither explains nor teaches, how can it compare to not explaining?  Since listening neither hears nor attains, how can it compare to not listening?

The strawberry reddens every night in the garden.  The wise gardener plucks the fruit in the morning before the birds feast upon it.  The turd takes several flushes from the toilet to disappear, especially after the turdor has been sitting zazen for five days.

For those with an eye to pass through the barrier, turn instead to listen carefully as the turd plops in the water.  Listen carefully to this teaching, those with ears to hear!

Case


Jitsu asked the samu leader:  "how great one is the iron bathtub at the zendo to be removed?  It probably is half a ton and would not fit in the staircase leading to the exit?"

"Use the force, Jitsu," replied the samu leader.  "And if that fails use this sledgehammer to strike the iron tub until it fractures in a thousand pieces easily penetrated by your sweeping broom."

To this Jitsu could not speak.

Commentary

In the golden age of zen when turds did not stink,  Master Guishan had been a student of Baizhang. When Baizhang died, a monk named Xiangyan said, “Our Master Baizhang has died. I will go and continue my studies and practice under Zen Master Guishan because he is Baizhang’s successor.”

Xiangyan had been very studious and scholastically inclined when he lived in Baizhang’s monastery so he knew a lot about the philosophy of Buddhism. However Guishan said to him, “I don’t ask you about anything you learned in Baizhang’s monastery; I only ask you, ‘What is your original face before your parents were even born?’”

Xiangyan didn’t know how to answer. So he went back to his room and started looking through all his books to find some answer to give to Guishan. He couldn’t find anything, so he was stuck on this question. He came back to Guishan and said, “Master, please tell me how to answer this question.”

Guishan said, “If I were to tell you, you would thank me now but curse me later,” and he refused to answer.

So Xiangyan became very despondent, depressed. Feeling “All my studies have been worthless,” he decided to leave the monastery and just wander around aimlessly. He felt no sense of purpose anymore. He was wandering across China, maybe begging a little rice here and there to sustain himself. Finally he settled down; he found an old dilapidated hermitage, where at one time in the past the national teacher had practiced. He figured “OK, I’ll stay here, it doesn’t make any difference anyway.”

He really despaired, like he’d lost everything. So in that state of mind one day he was sweeping the courtyard — he had to do something, so he swept the courtyard. And his broom dislodged a pebble that went flying — wap! — and hit a bamboo tree — bong! As soon as he heard that sound his despair mind, his I’ve-lost-everything-I-don’t-know-anything mind disappeared. Suddenly — because he wasn’t holding anything anymore — he woke up.

Though Jitsu had no verbal answer, the sledgehammer must sing for the for the tub to ring.  The vibrations shook the zendo, and many attained enlightenment that sesshin.

The breakfast of champions.  New practices for surviving at work.  New commencement of diaphragmatic breathing.  A realization of self as interference.