Gateless Gate 15

165
Gateless Gate (Mumonkan, Wumenguan) #15
Dogen's 300 #280
Dongshan Shouchu's Sixty Blows

Personnel

• YUNMEN Wenyan (Ummon Bunen, 864-949, 13th gen), disciple of Xuefeng
• DONGSHAN Shouchu (Tozan Shusho, 910-90, 14th gen), disciple of Yunmen
Possible date: 935 (first meeting of Dongshan and Yunmen: Yunmen age 71; Dongshan age 25, maybe)

Case

When Dongshan [Shouchu] came to Yunmen for instruction, Yunmen asked, “Where have you come from?”
Dongshan said, “From Chadu.”
Yunmen said, “Where were you during the summer retreat?”
Dongshan said, “At Baoci Monastery, south of the lake.” Yunmen said, “When did you leave there?”
Dongshan said, “On the twenty-fifth of August.”
Yunmen said, “I spare you sixty blows.”
The next day Dongshan came up to Yunmen and asked, “Yesterday you spared me sixty blows though I deserved them. I beg you, sir, where was I at fault?”
Yunmen said, “Oh, you rice bag! Have you been wandering about like that, now west of the river, now south of the lake?”
At this, Dongshan great realization.

Wumen's Comment

At that time, if Yunmen had given Dongshan the essential food of Zen and awakened him to an active Zen spirit, his family gate would not have become so desolate. Dongshan struggled with himself in agony all through the night and at daybreak came to Yunmen again. Yunmen gave him a further push to break through. Although Dongshan attained realization immediately, he still could not be called bright. Now I ask you, does Dongshan deserve sixty blows with the stick or not? If you say he does, then all the trees, grasses, thickets, and groves should be beaten. If you say he does not, then Yunmen is telling a lie. If you grasp this clearly, you are breathing through one mouth with Dongshan.

Wumen's Verse

The lion has a puzzling way of teaching its cubs:
The cubs crouch, leap and spring back swiftly;
Unintentionally, he gave a checkmate again,
The first arrow was light, but the second went deep.

Aitken's Comment

By way of getting acquainted, Yünmen may also be probing for an expression of realization. “Where do you come from?” really means “In this world of coming and going, where do you stand?” Dongshan answers Yunmen's questions straightfowardly, but with growing apprehension. By the third question and reply, Dongshan must know that now he is in for it, for the great Yünmen would not just go on making small talk. But what other answers are possible?
“I spare you sixty blows!”: Yün-men is saying, “I wouldn’t dirty my stick on the likes of you.” This is a far worse beating than actual blows. After Dongshan’s first reply, Yunmen probably knew very well that his guest didn’t have a glimmer. But he continued to build his upāya, his skillful means, with his subsequent questions. It surely would have been premature to say “I spare you sixty blows” right away.
Uneasiness has a role in Zen practice. Anxiety during an interview with the teacher can be a potent condition. One is out on the edge, so to speak, where inspiration comes more readily. Thus Dongshan went to bed that night feeling miserable. A most promising condition, though Dongshan too was unaware that he was in a promising condition. Though he was in great spiritual distress, he was not sulking, not blaming other people, certainly not blaming the teacher, nor was he punishing himself. He was using his distress by focusing on the question “Where was I at fault?” rather than falling into the despair of “What a mess I am!” This is the stuff of mastery.

Fushan's Comment (Cleary)

Hold the universe still, and even Buddhas and Zen masters have no way to get in; throw open the rivers and seas, and fish and dragons get room to swim.

Faren Ning's Comment (Cleary)

Had it not been for his diligence at the end, Dongshan would have fallen into a pit of quicksand, never to get out. Then again, it was just because of his diligence at the end that Dongshan fell into a pit of quicksand, never to get out.

Cleary's Comment

The koan at hand is about suchness, or being-as-is. At first, Yunmen's conversation with Dongshan seems to touch on everyday matters. In Zen Buddhist iconography, everyday matters are everyday matters and also symbols of being-as-is. The distinction between everyday matters and being-as-is lies in the subjectivity or objectivity of the observer, so the Zen master needs to test to see whether the seeker's perception is conditioned and subjective or direct and objective, whether the seeker only sees the mundane aspect of suchness, or whether the seeker also sees the suchness of the mundane. By the end of the third round, Yunmen and Dongshan are even. No one can tell whether the seeker only sees the sacred as mundane, or also sees the mundane as sacred. Therefore Yunmen sets another trap and "forgives him threescore blows." As it turns out, Dongshan got "caught" by Yunmen's "hook." Nevertheless, we still cannot tell whether he is an innocent playing innocent, an imbecile being an imbecile, or a self-approved seeker claiming to spontaneous and unselfconscious union with being-as-is. Therefore the Zen master Yunmen tests him again. Yunmen says, in effect, if you are a seeker who is claiming to have found the reality of suchness, what are you doing here? Why are you still seeking, using up the alms of the faithful, if you have in fact attained the aim? It might be said that Yunmen wanted to see whether Dongshan only saw the samsara or mundane aspect of suchness, or whether he also saw the heart of nirvana in that samsara. That is the criterion of real suchness.

Guo Gu's Comment

Dongshan crossed three provinces just to get to Yunmen. The southern provinces of Jiangxi and Hunan were the strongholds of Chan during that time. There were many Chan masters there, which is why, when Yunmen called him a rice bag, he added, “You’ve been through Jiangxi and Hunan and you go about it like this?” meaning, “You’ve been visiting teachers in these regions and this is how you practice?!” This case is actually very straightforward, quite simple. Yunmen merely set Dongshan up in the “sea of affirmation and denial” — and caused Dongshan to question where he was wrong, why he was not affirmed. Dongshan traveled three provinces trying to seek out Yunmen, but Yunmen just threw back at Dongshan the great matter of life and death.
No matter how comfortable you are with your elaborate structures of patterns, beliefs, and coping mechanisms and defend against their dissolution, you must question them: Do they define me? What is my true nature? The Chan approach is ultimately to expose the unreality of these strategies and reveal your inherent nature of freedom and awakening, which is your birthright. The series of exchanges between Yunmen and Dongshan is a setup for dropping self-attachment. The timing has to be right. The teacher has to be clear-eyed so as to recognize the timing and the spiritual caliber of the student. Yunmen recognized Dongshan as a person with a great practice, who had just finished an intensive summer retreat, and thought he had potential. So he presented a problem where there was no problem. He stirred up a wave just when the water had calmed and become motionless. Dongshan was shielded by his ease and stability, honesty and straightforward mind. Thus Yunmen finally said, “I give you three rounds of blows.” This was to plant in Dongshan — because this guy had no sense of doubt — the seed of right and wrong, affirmation and denial: a natural doubt sensation. Because he was forthright and honest, down-to-earth, he was ripe. Yunmen induced in Dongshan a sleepless night of churning in the sea of right and wrong — wallowing in wonderment and angst — which was followed by great awakening the next day.

A Similar Situation (Low)

A monk asked Linji, “What is a person of no rank?” Linji got down from his meditation seat, grabbed the monk by the front of his robe, hit him a couple of times around the face, and pushed him away crying, “What a useless bit of garbage is this man of no rank!” Then somebody said to the monk, “Why don’t you bow?” The monk came to awakening.

Nisargadatta said (Low)

Whatever name you give it: will or steady purpose or one pointedness of mind, you come back to earnestness, sincerity, honesty. When you are in dead earnest you bend every incident, every second of your life to your purpose. You do not waste time and energy on other things, you are totally dedicated, call it will or love or plain honesty. We are complex beings at war within and without. We contradict ourselves all the time undoing the work of today the work of yesterday. No wonder we are stuck. A little integrity would make a lot of difference.

Bunan's Awakening Verse (Low)

The moon’s the same old moon
The flowers are just as they were
Yet now I am
The thingness of things.

Low's Comment

The koan simply continues with Dongshan going to Yunmen the next day and asking where he was at fault. But what it leaves out is what happens between his leaving Yunmen and his returning. Most of us, let us confess, would have turned on our heel and left for good, probably cursing Yunmen for being an inconsiderate dolt, an ignorant fool, and any other name we could find handy. But Dongshan did not. Why not? This is the entry into the koan. Something must have penetrated through to Dongshan in the midst of that tirade. But what? If one can understand why Dongshan did not leave Yunmen, one will also understand what Wumen means by wallowing all night in yes and no. Dongshan passed through the dark night of the soul, a dark night through which any aspirant to the truth must pass. Without having hungered and thirsted after righteousness, as Jesus would say, without having emptied oneself of all, without having touched bottom, one will not be filled.

Sekida's Comment

Where are you from? The question can be understood in a number of ways: What is your true origin, identity, experience, former teacher, monastery, and so on? The student’s response revealed his condition to the master’s keen eye. Monks who knew something of Zen were sometimes inventive in their answers: some affected, some simple, some counterattacking to test the master, each according to his level of attainment.
I was at the monastery of Baoci. This answer and Dongshan’s manner betrayed that he was a novice. Some say that at this point Dongshan should have introduced a new topic, while others argue that there was nothing wrong in an honest answer. Yunmen, however, was quick in every way. He was like a tiger scenting his prey.
I spare you sixty blows. For Dongshan this was more humiliating than the blows themselves would have been. A novice with a proper attitude toward his teacher is always powerfully affected by his words.
The next day Dongshan came to Yunmen. All night Dongshan had tossed and turned sleeplessly, trying to work out where he had gone wrong. He could find no answer to his rigorous self-searching and came to Yunmen in a desperate state of mind. This is the condition that the skillful Zen master brings about by timely beating or harsh words. When the student has been brought to this extreme an explosion occurs, just as a ripe pea pod bursts open at the touch of a finger.
What makes you wander about . . .? Yunmen is saying, “What use is there in wandering about, now listening to Master Wang of West-of-the River, now to Master Chang of South-of-the Lake? What you are seeking you already possess. Why don’t you bring it up out of the bottom of your heart and mind?” Dongshan came to a mighty enlightenment: the deeper the devotion, the greater, when it comes, is the realization.

Senzaki's Comment

Dongshan said, “From Chadu," probably a place no more than a day’s journey on foot from the monastery. This was a stupid reply: a bodhisattva travels from eternity to eternity. There is no beginning, and so no ending. He comes from nowhere and goes to nowhere. It was a foolish question to ask Dongshan where he had come from, too. If I had been Dongshan then, I would have said, “Master Yunmen, I see you now," and would have bowed to him politely. Why should I tell him of my last lodging? I have forgotten it, and have no time for reminiscences.
Many people come to this zendo from remotely related movements such as Vedanta, Theosophy, and so on. They talk of their peregrinations, but show no attainment. Do they not also deserve three blows? When Dongshan went to Yunmen the next day and asked why he deserved three blows, the poor teacher could restrain himself no longer, crying out, “You good-for-nothing! You just wander around from one monastery to another.” Before Yunmen had finished speaking, Dongshan was enlightened. My only comment is this: “Honesty is the best policy."

Old Zen Master's Comment on Dongshan's Responses (Shibayama)

Being on the finest horse, he does not know how to ride it.

An Old Zen Master's Comment on Yunmen's Stick (Shibayama)

In front of the Goho Palace
He was asked where Rakuyo was.
With a golden stick
He pointed to the long, grand palace avenue.

from Hakuin, "Song of Zazen" (Shibayama)

Your going and returning takes place nowhere but where you are;
Your singing and dancing is none other than the voice of Dharma.

Shibayama's Comment

"Where have you been recently?” may refer to a place, but it also asks about one’s inner Zen spirituality. Dongshan’s reply was most naive and ordinary, and did not seem to have anything of Zen in it. A naive response, of course, can be a genuine and interesting Zen expression, but in this case Dongshan had not yet attained such spirituality. Where in Dongshan’s answers could be the reason to beat him? You have to have a Zen eye to answer this question, and this is where the key of the koan is.
Everywhere the Truth is all revealed. Everything as it is, is Zen. Because it is too close nobody knows it! Yunmen could not help bursting out with his stick.
All through the night Dongshan must have lain awake and wondered about the Master’s blows. He wondered and wondered with such intensity that he was not aware when morning broke. I should like to press my hands together in deep appreciation for this one night. Only those who have had similar hard and painful training days can put themselves in Dongshan’s place on that night.
"I do not know where my fault was.” It was not an easy, casual question. It was a bleeding question, on which his searching life was staked. If a student is not able to read such a spiritual struggle in Dongshan’s question, it means he does not have the experience of life-and-death searching and training himself. It is also the aim of this koan to encourage and lead the student to sincere and earnest searching and discipline.

Yamada's Comment

“From Chadu,” answers the monk. No one can tell from this whether there has been realization or not, so Yunmen continues. From Dongshan's series of responses, it appears to Yunmen that there is no enlightenment whatsoever. Dongshan is incapable of deviating from the path of an ordinary conversation. In other words, he is still blind.
A deeply enlightened person might answer Yunmen’s questions in the same way as Dongshan. There would then be other indications, however, by which a true Zen master could recognize enlightenment — such as the manner of walking or talking, or a light in the person’s eyes. In any event, Dongshan did not show the slightest degree of enlightenment.
"Where was I at fault?” Dongshan is quite simple and sincere. There is no ego in him at all; he is like a child asking in all earnestness for an answer, and that is an ideal state of mind for the practice of zazen.
“Oh, you ricebag! Have you been wandering about..." Many Zen students like to go from master to master, looking for something with which to become enlightened. It takes most of them a long while to find out that they must grasp it within themselves. In any event, with this remark Dongshan attained great enlightenment.

Daido Loori's Comment

It has no form, yet it is constantly present. Vast and boundless, it reaches everywhere, responding spontaneously and working freely in accord with the imperative. Yet, Zen practitioners everywhere vainly search for it over the four corners of the earth. Coming and going, asking and telling, poking and examining, they ask, "Where's the gold?"
In Zen training, one's understanding and clarity is seen in one's attitudes and actions, words and phrases, one's asking and responding. Ultimately its concern is, where do you find yourself? We should investigate this matter thoroughly.
Those who search for the Way do not see the truth. They only know discriminating consciousness. This is the cause of pain and suffering. Before we have taken a single step, we have already arrived. Buddha said to take it this way.

Daido's Interjections

Dongshan Shouchu went to see Yunmen, who said, "Where are you from?"
     (The windup and the pitch. After all, he must test the monastic.)
Dongshan said, "From Jiangxi, Master."
     (Strike one!)
Yunmen said, "Where did you spend the summer practice period?"
     (Again the pitch.)
Dongshan said, "At Baoci Monastery in Hunan."
     (Strike two!)
Yunmen said, "When did you leave there?"
     (A searing fastball.)
Dongshan sad, "On the twenty-fifth day of the eighth month."
     (Strike three. You're out!)
Yunmen said, "I will give you sixty blows of my stick."
     (His kindness is only exceeded by his generosity. He gives him everything.)
The next day Dongshan went to the abbot's room
     (He makes up for his dullness with persistence.)
and said, "Master you gave me sixty blows yestery. I don't understand what my fault was."
     (This is not a casual question; it comes from the heart of his spiritual struggle.)
Yunmen cried out, "You rice bag! Have you been prowling about like this from Jiangxi to Hunan?"
     (This is even more brutal than the sixty blows.)
Hearing those words, Dongshan had great realization.
     (Careful here. Gold dust in the eyes is not an aid to perception.)

Daido's Verse

Deep or shallow -- whatever it may be --
it's all in your hands.
Throughout the country,
only a handful can appreciate this.
The universe is itself the Great Way,
and the philosopher's stone
is your life itself.

Hotetsu's Verse Hotetsu's Verses on Koans

Traveler, you arrive, just passing through, and hear, "Where are you from?"
You state, then, the place name of your residence, if you have one,
Or of your last stop over. That's it: the complete from-ness of your being fully expressed.
What a profound truth you have uttered! What an inexecrable lie!

Appendix: Alternate Translations

Case

When Dongshan [Shouchu] came to Yunmen for instruction, Yunmen asked, “Where have you come from?” Dongshan said, “From Chadu.” Yunmen said, “Where were you during the summer retreat?” Dongshan said, “At Baoci Monastery, south of the lake.” Yunmen said, “When did you leave there?” Dongshan said, “On the twenty-fifth of August.” Yunmen said, “I spare you sixty blows.” The next day Dongshan came up to Yunmen and asked, “Yesterday you spared me sixty blows though I deserved them. I beg you, sir, where was I at fault?” Yunmen said, “Oh, you rice bag! Have you been wandering about like that, now west of the river, now south of the lake?” At this, Dongshan great realization.

Aitken: Tung-shan came to see Yun-men. Yun-men asked him, "Where were you most recently?" Tung-shan said, "At Ch'a-tu." Yun-men said, "Where were you during the summer?" Tung-shan said, "At Pao-tzu Monastery in Hu-nan." Yun-men said, "When did you leave there?" Tung-shan said, "August 25th." Yun-men said, "I spare you sixty blows." Next day, Tung-shan came again and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows. I don't know where I was at fault." Yun-men said, "You rice bag! Do you go about in such a way, now west of the river, now south of the lake!" With this, Tung-shan had great satori.

Cleary: When Dongshan came to study with Yunmen, the teacher asked him, "Where have you come from?" Dongshan said, "Chadu." Yunment asked, "Where did you spend the summer?" Dongshan said, "At Baoci monastery in Hunan." Yunmen asked, "When did you leave there?" Dongshan said, "August twenty-fifth." Yunmen said, "I forgive you threescore blows." The next day Dongshan went to Yunmen and asked, "Yesterday you forgave me three score blows; I do not know where my error was." Yunmen said, "You rice-bag! Jiangxi, Hunan, and you still go on this way!" At this Dongshan was greatly enlightened.

Guo Gu: When Dongshan came to study with Yunmen, Yunmen asked him, "Where have you just come from?" Dongshan said, "Chadu." Yunmen asked, "Where did you spend the summer?" Dongshan siad, "At Baoci Monastery in Hunan Province." Yunmen asked again, "When did you leave there?" Dongshan said, "The twenty-fifty day of the eighth month." Yunmen said, finally, "Today I give you three rounds of blows!" The next day Dongshan went back to ask about this, "Yesterday you bestowed on me three rounds of blows, but I do not know where I was wrong." Yunmen said, "You rice bag! You've been through Jiangxi and Hunan Provinces and you go about it like this?" At this, Dongshan was greatly enlightened.

Hinton: In his student wandering, Fathom Mountain went to study under Cloud-Gate Mountain. When he arrived, Cloud-Gate asked: "You've come from where?" "Raft-seek Ferry." "And where were you for the summer session?" "With Tender-Reward Mountain, at his monastery south of the lake." "When did you leave there?" "The twenty-fifth day of the eighth moon." "I'll drive you out of here with my stick, three-score blows!" shouted Cloud-Gate. The next morning, in spite of it all, Fathom Mountain hiked up to Cloud-Gate Mountain again and, deep with inquiry, asked: "Master, you drove me away yesterday, three-score blows. But I don't understand what I did wrong." "You great sack of rice," shouted Cloud-Gate. "One day south of the lake, the next west of the river. Where are you going, tramping around like this, always on your way somewhere else?" At that, Fathom Mountain had a great awakening.

Low: Tozan came to learn from Ummon who asked him, "Where are you from?" "From Sato," Tozan replied. "Where were you during the summer?" "I was at the monastery of Hozu, south of the lake." Ummon asked again, "When did you leave there?" Dongshan replied, "On the 25th of August." "I won't give you sixty blows," said Ummon. The next day Tozan came to Ummon and queried, "Yesterday you said youi would not give me sixty blows. Please, let me ask you, what did I do wrong?" "Oh you useless good-for-nothing!" shouted Ummon. "What is it that makes you wander about now west of the river, now south of the lake?" At that Tozan came to great awakening.

Sekida: Tozan came to study with Ummon. Ummon asked, "Where are you from?" "From Sato," Tozan replied. "Where were you during the summer?" "Well, I was at the monastery of Hozu, south of the lake." "When did you leave there?" Ummon asked. "On August 25" was Tozan's reply. "I spare you sixty blows," Ummon said. The next day Tozan came to Ummon and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows. I beg to ask you, where was I at fault?" "Oh, you rice bag!" shouted Ummon. "What makes you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?" Tozan thereupon came to a mighty enlightenment experience.

Senzaki: Tozan went to Ummon, who asked him where he had come from. Tozan said, "From Sato village." "In what temple did you stay for the summer?" "The temple of Hoji, south of the lake," Tozan replied. "When did you leave there?" asked Ummon, wondering how long Tozan would continue giving such factual replies. "The twenty-fifth of August," answered Tozan. Ummon said, "I should give you three blows of the stick, but today I will spare you." The next day, Tozan bowed to Ummon and said, "Yesterday, you spared me three blows of the stick. I do not know why you thought me wrong." Ummon, rebuking Tozan's spiritles responses, said, "You good-for-nothing! You just wander around from one monastery to another." Before Ummon had finished speaking, Tozan was enlightened.

Shibayama: When Tozan came to have an interaview with Unmon, Unmon asked, "Where have you been recently?" "At Sado, Master," Tozan replied. "Where did you stay during the last ge-period? "At Hozu of Konan," replied Tozan. "When did you leave there?" "On the twenty-fifth of August," Tozan answered. Unmon exclaimed, "I give you sixty blows with my stick!" The next day Tozan came up again and asked the Master, "Yesterday you gave me sixty blows with your stick. I do not know where my fault was." Unmon cried out, "You rice-bag! Have you been prowling about like that from Kosei to Konan?" At this Tozan was enlightened.

Verse

The lion has a puzzling way of teaching its cubs: /The cubs crouch, leap and spring back swiftly; /Unintentionally, he gave a checkmate again, /The first arrow was light, but the second went deep.

Aitken: The lion rejects her cub; /she kicks it and dodges away; /the second arrow connected beyond causation; /the first was light, the last one deep.

Cleary: A lion teaches its cub the secret of the wanderling; /When it tries to leap forward, immediately it's flipped. /An unexpected second try gets right to the point; /The earlier arrow was still light, the later one went deep.

Hinton: When the lion teaches a cub, it's pure mystery and confusion: /to urge the cub forward, it leaps away, feints and tumbels over. /Met before Absence begins, Cloud-Gate revealed the essence. /The first arrow left barely a scratch, but the second went deep.

Guo Gu: The lion teaches its cube the secret. /When the cubs jump up, the lioness kicks them down. /For no reason, she gives a blow over the head. /The first arrow only nicked him, but the second went deep.

Low: The lion has a roundabout way of teaching her cubs*: /Intending to urge them on she pushes them away. /Soon they redress themselves and charge back. /Heedlessly he came back to Ummon but was checkmated; /The first arrow was only a scratch, but the second went deep. (*It is said that three days after she gives birth to her cubs, a lioness will kick her beloved offspring from the precipice into an unfathomable valley. She cares for only those promising ones that scale the cliff, and deserts those that were not brave enough to do so.)

Sekida: The lion had a secret to puzzle his cub; /The cub crouched, leaped, and dashed forward. /The second time, a casual move led to checkmate. /The first arrow was light, but the second went deep.

Senzaki: The lioness teaches her cubs roughly: /When they jump up, she knocks them down! /Ummon's first arrow barely touched Tozan, /But the second arrow went deep.

Shibayama: A lion trains its cubs this way; /If they walk ahead, it kicks them and quickly dodges. /Against his will, Tozan had to be struck again; /The first arrow only nicked him, but the second went deep.