Sound, scent, flavor, feeling, are constant absorption [samadhi]
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Zen koan. Case 34 from 撃節録 Jijie lu
I hope to find the Chinese version of this text. It has nice phrases I like, such as 六尘不恶，还同正觉, and a phrase similar to "「见闻觉知无障碍，声香味触常三昧，如鸟空中只么飞，无取、无舍、无憎爱，若会应处本无心，始得名为观自在。」"
An ancestral teacher said, “The six sense data are not bad—rather, they are the same as true awakening.” (Eyes see, ears hear—what’s wrong with that?)
Xuedou said, “The staff is a sense object—what’s wrong with that? (This old fellow wants a second ladle of foul water.) Since there’s nothing wrong, the host should be distinguished. (Tertiary—hiding his body, he reveals his shadow.) Therefore it is said that the sixteen-foot golden body is manifest in a pile of trash. Putting this aside for the moment, (An adept teacher of the school after all doesn’t hide his body while revealing his shadow.) Standing like a mile-high wall in the mass of naked flesh, still the first move is forgone. (What end is there to people who play with the spirit?) Even if all-sided, a repeated beating is in order.”
Yuanwu said,
The Poem on Faith in Mind says, “The six sense data are not bad—rather, they are the same as true awakening.” Seeing, hearing, perception and cognition have no obstruction; sound, scent, flavor, feeling, are constant absorption. Yunmen said, “The states of totality are not absorption: the entities having sound, scent, flavor and feeling are on one side; sound, scent, flavor, and feeling are on one side—understanding is biased.” He also said, “This very seeing and hearing itself is not seeing and hearing. There is no sound and form besides to present to you.”
Dongshan said, “One who is not stained in the midst of sense data is a great person.” Yunmen said, “A staff is just called a staff, everything is just called everything.” The companions of mundane toils are seeds of realization of thusness.
The six sense data only get the ignorant—people like those of the two vehicles are like sprouts of burnt seeds, which won’t regrow. Also, Benren said, “Form is not form, sound is not sound; the six sense data are all thus.” Ultimately how is it? “They are the same as true awakening.” Knowledge and noumenon merge, objects and spirit converge. Mind is thus, and objects are also thus—there is no substantiality and no vanity either.
Since there is no fault, it is necessary to distinguish host and guest at the staff. It will not do to be naïve.
“Manifesting the sixteen foot golden body in a heap of trash” is found in Wuben’s sayings. “Standing like a mile high wall in the mass of naked flesh” is a saying of Linji. These two men still had no sovereignty.
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Notes
The sixteen foot golden body refers to an idealized image of Buddha.
The two vehicles refer to Buddhists who remain content with the peace of nirvana.
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Soh Wei Yu
Tan Jui Horng wow nice, thanks!
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Anatta
Luminosity
Samadhi
Zen
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