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THE GATELESS GATE - Chapter 15. Tozan's Sixty Blows

十五 洞山三頓
| hide chinese . show chinese |
雲門、因洞山參次、門問曰、近離甚處。
Tozan came to study with Unmon. Unmon asked, "Where are you from?"
山云、査渡。
"From Sato," Tozan replied.
門曰、夏在甚處。
"Where were you during the summer?"
山云、湖南報慈。
"Well, I was at the monastery of Hozu, south of the lake."
門曰、幾時離彼。
"When did you leave there," Unmon asked.
山云、八月二十五。
"On August 25" was Tozan's reply.
門曰、放汝三頓棒。
"I spare you sixty blows," Unmon said.
山至明日却上問訊。
昨日蒙和尚放三頓棒。

The next day Tozan came to Unmon and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows.
不知過在甚麼處。
I beg to ask you, where was I at fault?"
門曰、飯袋子、江西湖南便恁麼去。
"Oh, you rice bag!" shouted Unmon. "What makes you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?"
山於此大悟。
Tozan thereupon came to a mighty enlightenment experience.

Mumon's Comment
無門曰、雲門、當時便與本分草料、使洞山別有生機一路、家門不致寂寥。
If Unmon had given Tozan the true food of Zen and encouraged him to develop an active Zen spirit, his school would not have declined as it did.
一夜在是非海裏著到、直待天明再來、又與他注破。
Tozan had an agonizing struggle through the whole night, lost in the sea of right and wrong. He reached a complete impasse. After waiting for the dawn, he again went to Unmon, and Unmon again made him a picture book of Zen.
洞山直下悟去、未是性燥。
Even though he was directly enlightened, Tozan could not be called brilliant.
且問諸人、洞山三頓棒、合喫不合喫。
Now, I want to ask you, should Tozan have been given sixty blows or not?
若道合喫、草木叢林皆合喫棒。
If you say yes, you admit that all the universe should be beaten.
若道不合喫、雲門又成誑語。
If you say no, then you accuse Unmon of telling a lie.
向者裏明得、方與洞山出一口氣。
If you really understand the secret, you will be able to breathe out Zen spirit with the very mouth of Tozan.

Mumon's Verse 頌曰
獅子教兒迷子訣
擬前跳躑早翻身
無端再敍當頭著
前箭猶輕後箭深
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.

End of THE GATELESS GATE - Chapter 15. Tozan's Sixty Blows horizotal line T.o.C . Previous Chapter « | . 04. 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. | » Next Chapter



 



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