Gateless Gate 42

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Gateless Gate (Mumonkan, Wumenguan) #42
A Woman Comes Out of Samadhi

Personnel

• BUDDHA, "The World-Honored One," Siddhartha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha (480-400 BCE).
• MANJUSRI, Bodhisattva of Wisdom.
• An unnamed woman
• Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin (Momyo, Ensnared Light, Deceived-Wisdom, Seed of Delusion), a bodhisattva at the beginning stage, Bodhisattva of Differentiation Wisdom

Case

Once in the ancient days of the World-Honored One, Manjusri went to the place where Buddhas were assembled and found that all the Buddhas were departing for their original dwelling places. Only a young woman remained, sitting in samadhi close to Shakyamuni Buddha's throne.
Manjusri asked the Buddha, “Why can that woman be near the Buddha's throne while I cannot?”
The Buddha said, “Just awaken her and raise her up out of samadhi and ask her yourself.”
Manjusri walked around the woman three times, snapped his fingers once, took her up to the Brahman heaven, and exerted all his supernatural powers, but he could not bring her out of samadhi.
The World-Honored One said, “Even a hundred or a thousand Manjusris would not be able to bring her out of samadhi. Down below, past twelve hundred million lands as innumerable as the sand of the Ganges, is the Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin. He will be able to arouse her from her samadhi.”
Instantly the Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin emerged out of the earth and made a bow to the World-Honored One, who then gave his command. The Bodhisattva went before the woman and snapped his fingers once. At this, the woman came out of samadhi.

Wumen's Commentary

Old Shakya plays a country drama on stage, but people of shallow realization cannot appreciate it.
Just tell me: Manjusri is the teacher of the Seven Buddhas; why can't he bring the woman out of her samadhi while Mômyô, who is a bodhisattva in the beginning stage, can?
If you can grasp this completely, you will realize that surging delusive consciousness is nothing other than greatest samadhi.

Wumen's Verse

One can awaken her, the other cannot;
Both have their own freedom.
A god-mask here and a devil-mask there;
Even in failure, an elegant performance.

Zhenjing's Verse

Buddha-nature is a natural reality;
Who says there is any other teacher?
Where Ensnared Light snapped his fingers,
When the woman came out of meditation,
Not the slightest effort was expended --
When were thoughts ever stirred?
Living beings are all equal;
They produce many doubts and obstacles by themselves,
in the course of their daily activities.

Langya's Verse

The woman, Manjusri, and Ensnared Light:
Ultimately how do Zen followers understand?
Only if you harmonize subtly, beyond convention,
Will you believe the waves are basically water.

Sogyo's Verse

Taking along Shakyamuni the Tathagatha, Manjusri, and Momyo,
I enjoy the mountain spring
Visiting one truth after another.

Aitken's Comment

Myth is the drama of my life and yours. Each character is myself acting out a part of my nature and interacting with other aspects of myself within my own context. Manjusri is known as the teacher of the Seven Buddhas, who appeared in the dimmest of the remote past, one by one, with immeasurable spaces of time between them. Sakyamuni was the seventh of these august personages, so in this story the Buddha is confronting his own teacher. Take the "young woman" as simply someone you might not expect to be near the Enlightened One, someone deep in zazen and rather stuck there. The other character in this play is the Bodhisattva of Delusive Wisdom, who lives down below, past twelve hundred million lands, at the first level of bodhisattvahood. Delusive Wisdom is very diligent, perhaps, but full of dualistic ideas. Why aren't Buddhas present when Manjusri arrives? They have returned to their original dwelling place. Only a single person remains, sitting near the Buddha's throne. Manjusri can't wake her -- cannot get near the Buddha's seat. But down below lives the Bodhisattva of Delusive Wisdom, many, many levels below us. Instantly the Bodhisattva of Delusive Wisdom appears. He is not way down there below, but is right here, one with us all. How could Delusive Wisdom bring the young woman from her samadhi when Manjusri could not? How could the young woman get near the Buddha when Manjusri could not? Where had all the Buddhas gone when Manjusri appeared? Cut one, cut all!

Cleary's Comment

Manjusri is unable to get her out of that state because it is none other than his own domain (ineffable knowledge of the absolute) in which she is absorbed. What the individual in this state needs is complementary experience and knowledge. The complement to nirvanic absorption in absolute truth is discerning knowledge of relative truth, represented in this koan by the bodhisattva Ensnared Light, the symbol of consciousness and knowledge of the apparent world. The Way of Buddhahood is lived through the harmonious combination of two fundamental qualities: formless insight into absolute truth and discerning cognition of relative truth. True adepts can experience nirvana and samsara simultaneously, yet demonstrate or emphasize one or the other expediently for the sake of edifying others. The "waves" of knowledge of differentiation are not separated from the "water" of the oceanic consciousness of unity.

Low's Comment

What is it about Manjusri that makes all the Buddhas return to their original home? What, in any case, is the original home of Buddha? "Going home" is a down-to-earth and free-of-mystique expression for awakening. Wielding the sword of prajna, Manjusri cuts through the illusion of separation, and discrimination. With samadhi the illusion of being a separate individual drops away. In samadhi the woman was neither near to nor far from Buddha because Buddha too had "gone home." Momyo was as far as it is possible to be from Buddha. Yet one so distant could do what Majusri was unable to do. Momyo is the principle of identity (everything is itself and cannot at the same time be something else), in the same way that Manjusri is the principle of nondifferentiation. Without Momyo, nothing would be accomplished, whereas without Manjusri, everything would fall to pieces.

Sekida's Comment

The Buddhas assembled and consulted about how to make unenlightened beings enter the Supreme Way and achieve Holy Buddhahood. The girl represents your mind, and now she is sitting in samadhi. The Buddha's throne symbolizes the center of samadhi. The girl's samadhi is hers alone. Even Manjusri cannot see into it, much less get near it. Shakyamuni asks the impossible, to prove it is impossible. Manjusri exercised miraculous powers and performed superhuman feats, but in vain. No one can arouse the girl from absolute samadhi except the girl herself. One's absolute samadhi goes deep down below the twelve hundred million lands of the mind's realm. When Momyo, a Bodhisattva at the beginner's stage, wants to return to the level of the ordinary activity of consciousness, he can do so in an instant. The girl is the counterpart of Momyo.

Senzaki's Comment

According to a sutra, the assembly was held in the land of another buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni went there, and his disciple, Manjusri, followed him. Manjusri was not allowed to enter the hall, as he had not enough compassion to balance his wisdom. He tried his best to accomplish his virtue, and went back there again. One comes out from deep meditation to save all sentient beings. One moves with sympathy and grief for the delusions of other beings, and wishes to save them from their endless suffering. This koan simply emphasizes the noble power of compassion, which must go hand in hand with great wisdom. True buddhahood must have a balance of spotless wisdom and colorless compassion.

Shibayama's Comment

The particular aim of this koan is to make the monks' Zen eye thoroughly clear regarding fundamental wisdom versus attained wisdom, philosophical teaching versus Zen experience, or equality versus differentiation. When Manjusri arrived why did all the other Buddhas disappear and return to their original dwelling places? What are the Buddhas' original dwelling places? Why can a defiled woman be close to the Buddha seat? Why is Manjusri, the teacher of the Seven Buddhas, unable to come close to the Buddha seat? Why is Manjusri unable to awaken the woman from her meditation? How could Momyo, a Bodhisattva of just the initial stage, so easily accomplish what was impossible for Manjusri? Manjusri symbolizes Fundamental Wisdom, that is, Absolute Wisdom: the One Truth to which everything returns and from which everything is born. The live Manjusri pervades the universe. How wonderful it is that he could not bring the woman out of her meditation! Momyo is a Bodhisattva of differentiation wisdom, one who goes about clarifying truths and phenomena in accordance with the teachings of differentiation. Where the differentiation wisdom shines, each and every thing, as it is, is the entrance to emancipation. When right and wrong or life and death no longer disturb one at all, he has truly transcended right and wrong, he is free from life and death. If equality is stuck at equality, it ceases to be true equality. If differentiation is stuck at differentiation, it is no longer true differentiation. Equality is the basis of differentiation; differentiation is the working which is dynamically developed from, but firmly based on, equality, Oneness. When this is realized, both equality and differentiation shine out with real life; then you may truly declare that "this busy life of ignorance and discrimination is the life of supreme satori."

Yamada's Comment

Manjusri is a symbol of Prajna, the wisdom of the essential world (also called the world of complete emptiness or the world of absolute equality). This world is nothing other than what is realized in the enlightenment of all Buddhas. In Manjusri's world there is neither subject nor object, neither standing up nor sitting down, neither getting in nor getting out. Momyo is the symbol of the world of absolute difference. In his world, we can freely stand up or sit down, get in or out, and so on. Everything is the world has two aspects, one essential and the other phenomenal. In the former, everything is empty. It has no form, no color, no weight, no height. From this aspect, therefore, everything is equal. In the latter, everything is the only thing in the whole universe having color, weight, and height. From this aspect all things are completely different. The most important point is that these two aspects are intrinsically one. For the sake of expediency, we explain them as two, but from the beginning they are one. Manjusri was free not to awaken her; Momyo was free to wake her. For a horse, it is freedom to gallop; for a snake, it is freedom to crawl, not gallop. We are always in the center of perfect freedom.

Hotetsu's Verse

Buddhas gather so they can return to their original dwelling.
They return so they can gather again at the next Buddha party.
She, unnamed and untitled,
Her light and its snares one,
Surpasses their backing and forthing.

Illustration by Mark Morse

Appendix: Alternate Translations

Case

Once in the ancient days of the World-Honored One, Manjusri went to the place where Buddhas were assembled and found that all the Buddhas were departing for their original dwelling places. Only a young woman remained, sitting in samadhi close to Shakyamuni Buddha's throne. Manjusri asked the Buddha, “Why can that woman be near the Buddha's throne while I cannot?” The Buddha said, “Just awaken her and raise her up out of samadhi and ask her yourself.” Manjusri walked around the woman three times, snapped his fingers once, took her up to the Brahman heaven, and exerted all his supernatural powers, but he could not bring her out of samadhi. The World-Honored One said, “Even a hundred or a thousand Manjusris would not be able to bring her out of samadhi. Down below, past twelve hundred million lands as innumerable as the sand of the Ganges, is the Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin. He will be able to arouse her from her samadhi.” Instantly the Bodhisattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin emerged out of the earth and made a bow to the World-Honored One, who then gave his command. The Bodhisattva went before the woman and snapped his fingers once. At this, the woman came out of samadhi.

Aitken: Once Mañjuśrī went to a place where many Buddhas had assembled with the World-Honored One. When he arrived, all the Buddhas had returned to their original dwelling place. Only a young woman remained, seated in samādhi, near the Buddha’s seat. Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha and asked, “How can the young woman get near the Buddha’s seat when I cannot?” The Buddha replied to Mañjuśrī, “Awaken this young woman from her samādhi and ask her yourself!” Mañjuśrī walked around the young woman three times, snapped his fingers once, took her to the Brahma Heaven and exerted all his supernatural powers, but he could not bring her out. The World-Honored One said, “Even a hundred thousand Mañjuśrīs cannot awaken her. Down below, past twelve hundred million lands, as innumerable as sands of the Ganges, lives the Bodhisattva of Delusive Wisdom. He will be able to bring her out of her samādhi.” Instantly the Bodhisattva of Delusive Wisdom emerged from the earth and made bows before the World-Honored One, who gave him his imperial order. Delusive Wisdom stepped before the young woman, snapped his fingers once, and at this she came out of samādhi.

Cleary: In ancient times, Manjushri went to an assembly of Buddhas. When the other Buddhas returned to their re- spective domains, a woman remained, sitting near Gautama Buddha, in a state of absorption. Manjushri said to Buddha, "Why can a woman sit near Buddha, when I cannot?" Buddha said to Manjushri, "All you have to do is wake the woman up, get her out of absorption, and ask her yourself." Manjushri circled the woman three times and snapped his fingers. Then he lifted her up to pure heaven, using all of his spiritual powers, but was not able to get her out of absorption. Buddha said, "Even a hundred thousand Manjushris could not get this woman out of absorption. Below here, past as many worlds as grains of sand in twelve trillion Ganges Rivers, there is a bodhisattva named Ensnared Light who can get this woman out of absorption." In a moment, the great being Ensnared Light sprang up from the earth and bowed to Buddha. Buddha instructed Ensnared Light to go up to the woman and snap his fingers once. When he did so, the woman emerged from absorption.

Guo Gu: Once the World-Honored One (told the story of Devarāja Buddha) and Mañjuśrī, who wanted to go to his buddha land where all the buddhas were gathering to collect the essential sūtras (but Mañjuśrī was forbidden). When Mañjuśrī arrived, all the buddhas had already returned to their own abodes, except a girl (named Depart from Consciousness), who remained sitting in samādhi near (Devarāja) Buddha. Mañjuśrī asked (Devarāja) Buddha, “How is it that a girl is here and even sitting next to you but I may not?” Devarāja Buddha told Mañjuśrī, “Bring that girl out of samādhi and ask her yourself.” Mañjuśrī circumambulated her three times and snapped his fingers (which didn’t wake her up); then he took her up to the brahma heaven, exhausting all of his spiritual powers without being able to bring her out (of samādhi). The World-Honored One said, “Even hundreds of thousands of Mañjuśrīs would not be able to bring this girl out of her samādhi. Below, past one billion two hundred million Ganges Rivers of buddha lands, there is a bodhisattva called Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin who can bring this girl out of samādhi.” In that instant, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin Bodhisattva emerged from the ground and made obeisance to the World-Honored One. The World-Honored One directed Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin to snap his fingers. The girl came out of her samādhi.

Hinton: In those long-ago days of the World-Honored-One, Manjushri went to the assembly of Buddhas and found they had all gone back to their ancestral homes. The only one left was a girl meditating next to Shākyamuni Buddha, deep in samadhi's three-shadowed earth. Manjushri said to Buddha: “How is it this girl can sit beside you, and I cannot?” “Why not rouse her?” replied Buddha. “Why not summon her from samadhi's three-shadowed earth, and ask her for yourself?” Manjushri walked around her three times, then snapped his fingers. He carried her away to the purest Brahma heaven, exhausted his supernatural powers, and still couldn’t wake her. The World-Honored-One said: “Even the power of a hundred thousand Manjushris couldn’t wake this girl from her samadhi-meditation. Down below the underworld are twelve million kingdoms, kingdoms vast as Ganges sands. There, the Bodhisattva of Deceived-Wisdom lives. He can wake this girl from samadhi-meditation.” A moment later, the illustrious Deceived-Wisdom emerged out of the ground. He bowed reverently to the World-Honored-One; then the World-Honored-One issued his imperial command. Deceived-Wisdom went and stood before the girl, then snapped his fingers. At this, the girl awakened from her samadhi-meditation.

Low: Once in ancient times Manjusri went into the presence of the World-Honored One where all the Buddhas assembled, but they had all departed to their original homes. One woman in deepest samadhi sat close to Buddha’s throne. Manjusri asked Buddha, “How can this woman be so close to your throne, while I cannot be?” The Buddha replied, “You may awaken this woman yourself and ask her.” Manjusri walked around her three times and snapped his fingers once, but could not wake her. He took her up to the Brahman heaven and exerted all his magic powers on her, but still could not awaken her. The World-Honored One said, “Even a hundred thousand Manjusris could not awaken her from her profound samadhi. But deep below, past twelve hundred million lands as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, lives a Bodhisattva named Momyo. He will be able to awaken this woman. Instantly, Momyo emerged from the earth and bowed to the World-Honored One who told him what he wanted him to do. Momyo went to the woman, snapped his fingers once, and at this she came out of samadhi.

Sekida: Once, in the old days, in the time of the World-honored One, Manjusri went to the assembly of the Buddhas and found that everyone had departed to his original dwelling place. Only a girl remained, sitting in samadhi close to the Buddha’s throne. Manjusri asked Shakyamuni Buddha, “Why can the girl get near the Buddha’s throne, while I cannot?” Shakyamuni Buddha said, “Bring her out of her samadhi and ask her yourself.” Manjusri walked around the girl three times, snapped his fingers once, took her to the Brahma heaven, and exerted all his miraculous powers to bring her out of her meditation, but in vain. The World-honored One said, “Even a hundred thousand Manjusris cannot make her wake up. But down below, past twelve hundred million lands as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, there is the Bodhisattva Mōmyō. He will be able to arouse her from her samadhi.” Instantly the Bodhisattva Mōmyō emerged from the earth and made a bow to the World-honored One, who gave him his imperial order. The Bodhisattva went over to the girl and snapped his fingers once. At this she came out of her samadhi.

Senzaki: In the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Manjushri (who was thus named for his attainment of great wisdom), went to an assembly of buddhas. (According to a sutra, the assembly was held in the land of another buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni went there, and his disciple, Manjushri, followed him. Manjushri was not allowed to enter the hall, as he had not enough compassion to balance his wisdom. He tried his best to accomplish his virtue, and went back there again.) When he arrived there the conference was over, and all the buddhas except his teacher, Shakyamuni, had returned to their own buddha-lands. Only a young woman remained, sitting in deep meditation. Manjushri asked Buddha Shakyamuni how it was possible for this young woman to reach a state that even he could not attain. “Bring her out from samadhi and ask her yourself,” said the Buddha. Manjushri walked around the young woman three times and snapped his fingers. She still remained in meditation. So with his miraculous powers, Manjushri transported her to a high heaven. He tried his best to bring her out, but in vain. Buddha Shakyamuni said, “Even a hundred thousand Manjushris would not be able to bring her out from samadhi. But below this place, past twelve hundred million lands, is the bodhisattva Momyo (“Seed of Delusion”). If he comes here, she will come out.” No sooner had the Buddha spoken than that bodhisattva sprang up from the earth and bowed, paying homage to the Buddha, who directed him to rouse the young woman. The bodhisattva went in front of her and snapped his fingers, and instantly she was roused from her deep meditation.

Shibayama: Once long ago, the World-Honored One came to the place where many Buddhas were assembled. When Manjusri arrived there, the Buddhas all returned to their original places. Only a woman remained, close to the Buddha seat in deep meditation. Manjusri spoke to the Buddha, “Why can a woman be close to the Buddha seat, and I cannot?” The Buddha told Manjusri, ““You awaken this woman from her meditation and ask her yourself.’ Manjusri walked around the woman three times, snapped his fingers once, then took her up to the Brahma Heaven and tried all his supernatural powers, but he was unable to bring her out of meditation. The World-Honored One said, “Even hundreds of thousands of Manjusris would be unable to bring her out of meditation. Down below, past one billion, two hundred million countries, as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, there is a Bodhisattva called Momyo. He will be able to awaken her from meditation.” In an instant Momyo emerged from the earth and worshiped the World-Honored One. The World-Honored One gave him the order. Momyo then walked to the woman and snapped his fingers only once. At this the woman came out of her meditation.

Verse

One can awaken her, the other cannot; /Both have their own freedom. /A god-mask here and a devil-mask there; /Even in failure, an elegant performance.

Aitken: One can bring her out, the other cannot; /both of them are free. /A god mask; a devil mask — /the failure is an elegant performance.

Cleary: Whether or not they can get her out, /She has attained freedom. /With a spirit head and a ghost face. /Defeat amounts to elegance.

Guo Gu: Whether able or unable to bring [her] out, /You and I are already free. /A facade of a god or a mask of a demon — /Defeat is indeed outstanding!

Hinton: One could awaken her, the other could not: /either way, they move with perfect freedom. /Spirit masks, ghost faces: it’s all deception. /Truth is, we live free and easy on the wind.

Low: One could awaken her, the other could not. /Both have their own freedom. /A god-mask, a devil-mask; /The failure was very interesting.

Sekida: One was successful, the other was not; /Both secured freedom of mind. /One in a god-mask, the other in a devil-mask; /Even in defeat, a beautiful performance.

Senzaki: One could not awaken her, the other could. /Neither was a good actor. /One wore a god-mask, one a devil-mask. /Had both failed, the drama would still be a comedy.

Shibayama: The one could awaken her, the other could not; /Both are completely free. /A god mask and a devil mask, /The failure is wonderful indeed.