[Updates & News] [Poetry & Stories] [A Buddhist Web-journal] [Theravada Writings] [Zen / Ch'an Writings] [Buddhist Webrings] [Buddhist Links] [About this Page] [Home]

Blue Cliff Record

Case 10: Mu Chou's Thieving Phoney

Introduction

So; so. Not so; not so.

In battle everyone occupies a pivotal position. So it is said that if you turn upwards, even Shakyamuni, Maitreya, Manjusri, Samantabahdra, and all the myriad sages together with all the masters in the world suck in their breaths and swallow their voices. If you turn downwards, worms and maggots and everything that crawls, all sentient beings each and everyone emits great shining light. Each and everyone towers like a wall miles high. If on the other hand, you neither face upwards or downwards, how will you deal with it? If there is a principle, go by the principle. If there is no principle, go by the example.

To test I cite this. Look!

The Case

Mu Chou asked a student: Where have you just come from?

The student immediately shouted: Kaatz!

Mu Chou said: That’s a ‘Kaatz’ on me.

Again the student shouted: Kaatz!

Mu Chou said: Three ‘Kaatz’, four ‘Kaatz’, what then?

The student had nothing to say.

Mu Chou hit him and said: You thieving phoney.

Suei-to’s verse:

Two shouts and a third shout.

Good zen students recognize the opportune moment for change.

If you call that riding the tiger’s head, the two of them would both turn out to be blind.

Who after all is really blind?

I bring it out for everyone to see.