bluejoshu

[nick...@googlemail.com]

Supreme Way

Joshu, instructing the assembly, said,

"The supreme Way is not difficult; it simply dislikes choosing [1].
But even
if a word is uttered, it is already an action of 'choosing' or of
adhering
to 'clarity'. This old monk [2] doesn't dwell in clarity. Do you
monks want
to keep a firm hold on 'clarity' or not?"

At that time a monk asked,
"You say you do not dwell in clarity. If so, what is there to keep a
firm
hold on?"

Joshu said,
"I don't know, either."

The monk said,
"If you, Master, don't know, why do you say that you don't dwell in
clarity?"

Joshu said,
"You have already asked amply. Bow and withdraw."

Four Gates

A monk asked Joshu,
"What is Joshu?"

Joshu said,
"East gate, west gate, south gate, north gate."

Giant Radishes

A monk asked Joshu,
"I've heard that you personally met Nansen. Is it true or not?"

Joshu replied,
"The province of Chin produces giant radishes."

Great Death

Joshu asked Tosu,
"What is it if a man who has died a great Death comes back to
life?"

Tosu said,
"I don't allow walking about in the night. Come in the daylight."

Cloth Robe

A monk asked Joshu,
"The ten thousand Dharmas come down to one.
What does the one come down to?"

Joshu said,
"When I was living in the Province of Sei, I made a cloth robe.
It weighed seven pounds."

Stone Bridge

A monk asked Joshu,
"For a long time, the stone bridge of Joshu has echoed in my ears.
But now that I've come here, I just see a log bridge."

Joshu said,
"You simply see a log bridge; you don't see the stone bridge yet."

The monk said,
"What is the stone bridge?"

Joshu said,
"It lets donkeys cross, it lets horses cross."

Bumpkin

A monk asked Joshu,
"'The supreme Way is not difficult; it simply dislikes choosing'.
What
is non-choosing?"

Joshu said,
"Above the heavens and under the heavens I am the only one, alone
and
exalted."

The monk said,
"That is still choosing."

Joshu said,
"You stupid bumpkin, where is the choosing?"
The monk remained silent.

Pitfall

A monk asked Joshu,
"'The supreme Way is not difficult; it simply dislikes choosing.'
Isn't
that the pitfall of the people of our time?"

Joshu said,
"Once someone asked me like that. I am sorry that even after five
years
I still can't give an answer to it."

Supreme Way

A monk asked Joshu,
"'The supreme way is not difficult, it simply dislikes choosing. But
even
if a word is uttered, it is already an action of 'choosing.' --
Then how
can you, Master, try to lead other people?"

Joshu said,
"Why don't you quote the sentence to the end?"

The monk said,
"I just had this much in my mind."

Joshu said,
"It's only: 'The supreme way is not difficult; it simply dislikes
choosing.'"

the Sandals

Nansen told Joshu what had happened, and asked him for his view.

Joshu
thereupon took his sandals, put them upon his head and went away.
Nansen said,

"If you had been there, I could have spared the cat."

Newborn Infant

A monk asked Joshu,
"Does a newborn infant have the Six Functions or not?"

Joshu said,
"Throwing a ball on the swift current."

The monk asked also Tosu,
"What does 'throwing a ball on the swift current' mean?"

Tosu said,
"Every consciousness flows without ceasing."

Three Turning Words

Joshu showed the assembly three turning words:

"The Buddha made of clay will not pass through water."

"The Buddha made of metal will not pass through a furnace."

"The Buddha made of wood will not pass through fire."