..续本文上一页d so Dairyū turned to an immediate fact of phenomenal beauty. It might have been a chilly spring morning when some early bird was singing, that Dairyū gave the monk his beautiful answer, that on the hillside the wildflowers open up like a piece of brocade and down in the ravine the limpid stream never ceases being violet-blue.

　　Appreciatory Word of Setchō:

　　Innocent question of an ignorant monk. An accurate answer is given to the point. The moon is cold and the wind is high. Of the cold cypress trees on the sheer frost-bound cliff. Isn”t it wonderful not to say anything even though you happen to meet an enlightened master! Dairyū held the white jeweled whip in his hand and broke the pure black horse pearl. If he had not broken the pearl, it would have caused as many crimes as there are sentences in the three thousand clauses of the law of the country.

　　Note:

　　The monk”s mistake was that he didn”t know how to raise his question about the true way. He was asking a question only with his intellect. Dairyū”s answer was so precisely to the point that there would have been no time for even an alert fellow to make a retort. His answer is said to be like moonlight which passes through pure water to the bottom without disturbance.

　　Do not say I practice zazen for a certain time, in a certain place and posture. If you have no time to spare for Zen practice, if you have no zendo, or if you lose your legs, what will you do

　　 Zen is the practice of all existence with everything else, stars, moon, sun, mountains, rivers, animate and inanimate beings. Sometimes the pain in our legs practices zazen. Sometimes our sleepy mind practices zazen on a black cushion, on a chair, or even in bed. Zen practice for the purpose of obtaining a sort of psychological tranquility or joy or power is called shūzen, and is not our true Zen practice.

　　Each one of us is an independent existence and yet at the same time not separated from other existences. If you find someone suffering, you will naturally be involved in the suffering. When all sentient beings are in the midst of suffering, how is it possible for you to be free from suffering. However, if only you practice zazen when you are suffering, the suffering mind will practice Zen instead of you. In other words, the suffering you have, will drive and help you to attain the singularity of your mind.

　　On the other hand, if you practice zazen to overcome your suffering, or to keep suffering away from your self, then suffering or the fear of suffering will prevent you from attaining the singularity of mind. We must know that all the difficulties we have are incitements to right zazen, and not obstacles. Even though you can attain the oneness of your mind, this state of mind may be some special psychological tranquility or joy to which will be attached. Setchō says such a state of mind is a pure black horse pearl which should be broken by Dairyū”s white jeweled whip.

　　Once you attain singularity of Mind, then oneness of mind and body, oneness of the subjective and the objective world, and the oneness of duality is also attained. You accept everything as it is. Everything that exists is your own.

　　Should you expect some outside help

　　 Should you expect to attain something especially valuable only for you, knowing that it will create anxiety about losing it

　　 This is why Dairyū said, “On the hill mountain flowers are coming out. Down in the ravine indigo pure water is flowing.”

　　In his Appreciatory Word about Dairyū”s answer, Setchō quotes Kyōgen[1] (famous for attaining Enlightenment hearing a stone hit bamboo), “Wonderful not to say anything to an Enlightened master whom you may happen to meet!”

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　　[1] Xiangyan Zhixian (Jap. Kyōgen Chikan): d. 898. Dharma heir of Guishan Lingyou (Isan Reiyū).

《Model Subject No· 82》全文阅读结束。