I rarely contemplate koans anymore, but occasionally some old unanswered koans will arise and be seen through. It's always a surprise when this happens. The first koan in more than a decade that captured my interest was one that I recently read in "The Zen Teachings of Huang Po." Apparently, Huang Po (600 AD?), was talking to Nan Chuan (incorrect spelling, but I don't have the book with me). Nan Chuan, a deeply-enlightened master, asked Huang Po where he was going. Huang Po said, "To cut some vegetables." Nan Chuan then asked, "What will you cut them with?" HP silently held up a knife. Nan Chuan replied, "Well, that's okay for a guest, but not for a host." HP realized the depth of this comment, and the inadequacy of his reply, and he did three prostration bows to show his respect.
This story stunned me, and prompted some serious contemplation.
This story is exactly like the story of the ZM who was walking with his advanced student when some geese flew overhead. The ZM asked the student, "Where have they flown." The student replied, "Master, they're already flown away." The ZM then suddenly grabbed the student's nose, twisted it violently, and said, How could they possibly have flown away?"
When I read the Huang Po story, I could imagine a sage asking, "If you had been there, how could you have answered Nan Chuan's question satisfactorily?" IOW, HP made a mistake when he held up the knife. That "answer" isn't bad, but the understanding/realization behind that answer is far from what NC was looking for.
"What are you going to use to cut them (the vegetables) with?" "Where have they (the geese) gone?" These are heavy-duty questions, and it's the same underlying issue (though more explicit) that you raised with Stillness concerning his statements about Source never being in conflict. How does one stop responding as a guest and manifest as Host? How does one go from outside to inside? This is where some seriously-deep water lies.
This story stunned me, and prompted some serious contemplation.
This story is exactly like the story of the ZM who was walking with his advanced student when some geese flew overhead. The ZM asked the student, "Where have they flown." The student replied, "Master, they're already flown away." The ZM then suddenly grabbed the student's nose, twisted it violently, and said, How could they possibly have flown away?"
When I read the Huang Po story, I could imagine a sage asking, "If you had been there, how could you have answered Nan Chuan's question satisfactorily?" IOW, HP made a mistake when he held up the knife. That "answer" isn't bad, but the understanding/realization behind that answer is far from what NC was looking for.
"What are you going to use to cut them (the vegetables) with?" "Where have they (the geese) gone?" These are heavy-duty questions, and it's the same underlying issue (though more explicit) that you raised with Stillness concerning his statements about Source never being in conflict. How does one stop responding as a guest and manifest as Host? How does one go from outside to inside? This is where some seriously-deep water lies.
