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Shoyoroku - Case 67: The Wisdom in the Kegon Sutra
The Kegon Sutra says,
"Now I see all living beings everywhere, and I see that each of them
possesses the wisdom and virtue of Tathagata. But because of their
delusions and attachments, they cannot realize it."
Shoyoroku - Case 68: Kassan Brandishes the Sword
A monk asked Kassan,
"What if one sweeps away the dust and sees Buddha?"
Kassan said,
"You must brandish your sword. If you do not brandish your sword, the
fisherman dwells in a nest of reeds [1]."
The monk mentioned this to Sekiso and asked him,
"What if one sweeps away the dust and sees Buddha?"
Sekiso said,
"He has no country. Where can one meet him?"
The monk reported this to Kassan. Kassan ascended the rostrum and said,
"As for the facilities in the garden [2], the old monk [3] is superior to
Sekiso, but for deep discourse expounding the true principle he is one
hundred steps ahead of me."
[1]: That is, unable to catch a single fish.
[2]: Better teaching methods.
[3]: I.e., "I."
Shoyoroku - Case 69: Nansen's "Cats and Oxen"
Nansen instructed the assembly and said,
"All the buddhas of the three worlds [1] do not know that there is.
Only the cats and Oxen know that there is."
[1]: The past, present and future.
Shoyoroku - Case 70: Shinsan Asks about Nature
Master Shinsan asked Master Shuzan [1],
"After you have clearly known the unborn nature of life, why are you still
attached to life?"
Shuzan said,
"The bamboo shoot necessarily becomes a bamboo. But is it possible to make
a bamboo rope [2] already out of a bamboo shoot? [3]"
Shinsan said,
"Later you will realize it yourself."
Shuzan said,
"My view is just as I said. What is your view?"
Shinsan said,
"This is the temple steward's quarters, and that is the cooks' quarters."
Shuzan made a deep bow.
[1]: The two masters were Dharma brothers.
[2]: A rope made out of thin bamboo tops.
[3]: That is, I am still "a bamboo shoot"; you cannot make "a bamboo rope" out
of me.
Shoyoroku - Case 71: Suigan's "Eyebrows" [1]
Towards the end of summer [2], Suigan instructed the assembly, saying,
"All summer I've preached to you, my brothers. Look here, are Suigan's
eyebrows still there? [3]"
Hofuku said,
"The robber's heart is terrified!"
Chokei said,
"They are well grown!"
Unmon said,
"Barrier [4]!"
[1]: see case 8 of Hekiganroku.
[2]: Summer-sesshin for 3 months.
[3]: According to the popular belief a great criminal should lose his eyebrows
as a sign of his coming punishment in hell.
[4]: Literally kan means "barrier" (cf. Mumonkan). In those days this Chinese
word colloquially meant also, "Watch out!" or "There!"
Shoyoroku - Case 72: Chuyu's "Monkey"
Kyozan [1] asked Chuyu,
"What does buddha-nature mean?"
Chuyu said,
"I will explain it for you by allegory. Suppose there is a room with six
windows. Inside there is a monkey. Outside, someone shouts, 'Monkey!
monkey!' It immediately responds. If someone calls, 'Monkey!' through any
of the windows, it responds just the same. It is just like that."
Kyozan said,
"How about when the monkey is asleep?"
Chuyu descended from his Zen seat, grasped Kyozan and said,
"O monkey, monkey, there you are!"
[1]: At this time Kyozan was about 13 years old.
Shoyoroku - Case 73: Sozan's Filial Fulfillment
A monk asked Sozan,
"When one leaves off his mourning clothes [1], how about that?"
Sozan said,
"Sozan today has fulfilled filial piety."
The monk said,
"How about after you have fulfilled piety?"
Sozan said,
"Sozan loves to get drunk."
[1]: In Japanese: Reii. The mourning closes that one wore when one of the
parents was dead. Here it is symbolically used to designate the clothes
during Zen practice.
Shoyoroku - Case 74: Hogen's "Form and Name"
A monk asked Hogen,
"I hear that a sutra says,
'From the basis of non-abiding all dharmas are established.'
What is this basis of non-abiding?"
Hogen said,
"Form arises from what has no substance yet; name comes from what has no
name yet."
Shoyoroku - Case 75: Zuigan's "Everlasting Principle"
Zuigan [1] asked Ganto,
"What is the intrinsic, everlasting principle?"
Ganto said,
"It has moved."
Zuigan said,
"What if it moves?"
Ganto said,
"You can't see the intrinsic, everlasting principle."
Zuigan thought for a moment. Ganto said,
"If you acknowledge it, you are not yet free from the roots and their
dust [2]. If you do not acknowledge it, you are immersed in endless birth
and death."
[1]: At the time of this dialogue Zuigan was still a young boy.
[2]: The "roots" means "six roots" of sense organs: eye, ear, nose, tongue,
body, consciousness. "Dust", more exactly "six dust particles," means the
objects of the six sense organs: form, sound, smell, taste, things to be
touched, objects of mind.
Shoyoroku - Case 76: Shuzan's Three Verses
Shuzan instructed his assembly and said,
"If you attain the first verse, you will be the teacher of buddhas and
patriarchs. If you attain the second verse, you will be the teacher of
heaven and humankind. If you attain the third verse, you cannot save even
yourself."
A monk asked,
"Which verse did Your Reverence attain?"
Shuzan said,
"The moon is set at midnight; I walk alone through the market place of
the city."
Shoyoroku - Case 77: Kyozan: As His Profession Requires
A monk asked Kyozan,
"Your Reverence, do you know letters or not?"
Kyozan said,
"According to my capacity."
The monk immediately turned around once clockwise and said,
"What letter is this?"
Kyozan drew the ideograph for "10" [ + ] in the earth. The monk turned
himself around once counter-clockwise and said,
"What letter is that?"
Kyozan modified the sign" + " into a swastika [1]. The monk drew a circle in
the air and lifted his two palms like Asura [2] vigorously holding the sun
and moon and said,
"What letter is that?"
Kyozan immediately drew a circle enclosing the swastika. The monk at once
represented the vigor of a Rucika [3]. Kyozan said,
"Good, good. Keep it with care."
[1]: Manji in Japanese; a symbol of Buddhism.
[2]: Originally a Hindu deity, here one of the eight supernatural protectors
of Buddhist Way.
[3]: The buddha Rucika wailed at his fate at first because he was the last of
the thousand buddhas in this cosmic period. But then he made up his mind
to be the energetic protector of the Dharma for all other buddhas. Two
powerful figures of this buddha are seen at the entrance gate of many
temples in Japan (named Nio).
Shoyoroku - Case 78: Unmon's "Rice Cake" [1]
A monk asked Unmon,
"What is meant by the pronouncement 'to go beyond the Buddha and the
patriarchs'?"
Unmon said,
"Poor rice cake [2]."
[1]: see case 77 of Hekiganroku.
[2]: In Japanese: kobyo. Cheap and unrefined cake.
Shoyoroku - Case 79: Chosa Takes a Step
Chosa had a monk ask Master E,
"How was it when you had not yet seen Nansen?"
E remained silent. The monk asked,
"What about after seeing him?"
E said,
"Nothing special."
The monk returned and told Chosa about this. Chosa said,
"The man sits on the top of a hundred-foot pole. He has entered the way,
but it is not yet genuine. He must take one step from the top of a
hundred-foot pole. The worlds of the ten directions will be his complete
body." [1]
The monk said,
"How shall one take a step from the top of a hundred-foot pole?"
Sa said,
"Mountains of Ro; water of Rei [2]."
The monk said,
"I don't understand."
Sa said,
"Four seas and five lakes are all under the imperial reign."
[1]: see case 46 of Mumonkan.
[2]: Ro and Rei are the names of Provinces in the old China.
Shoyoroku - Case 80: Suibi and the Chin Rest [1]
Ryuge asked Suibi,
"What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the west?"
Suibi said,
"Bring me a chin rest [2]."
Ryuge brought one and gave it to him. Suibi took it and hit him.
Ryuge said,
"You may hit me as you like. After all there is no meaning to the
Patriarch's coming from the west."
Ryuge also asked Rinzai,
"What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the west?"
Rinzai said,a
"Bring me a sitting cushion."
Ryuge got one and gave it to Rinzai. Rinzai took it and hit him. Ryuge said,
"You may hit me as you like. After all there is no meaning to the
Patriarch's coming from the west."
Later Ryuge became abbot of a temple. A monk asked him,
"Master, at that time, when you asked Suibi and Rinzai about the meaning
of the Patriarch's coming from the west, did they clarify it or not?"
Ryuge said,
"They clarified it all right. After all, there is no meaning to the
Patriarch's coming from the west."
[1]: similar to case 20 of Hekiganroku. However, the third paragraph, is
peculiar to the Shoyoroku.
[2]: Literally: "Zen board." A narrow board used so as to let one sleep in
the sitting posture.
Shoyoroku - Case 81: Gensha Reaches the Province
Gensha came to the Province Hoden. He was welcomed with great entertainment.
The next day he asked the head priest, Shoto,
"All the revelry of yesterday, where has it gone?"
Shoto held out the corner of his Buddhist garment. Gensha said,
"Far from it, no connection at all."
Shoyoroku - Case 82: Unmon's: "Voice" and "Color"
Unmon instructed the assembly and said,
"'To realize the way through hearing a voice, to enlighten the mind through
seeing color' -- Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara comes with some small change
and buys poor rice cakes. If he throws it away, he will get nice manju
cakes instead."