32. A Philosopher Asks Buddha
*
"The Gateless Gate", by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934],
32. A Philosopher Asks Buddha
A philosopher asked Buddha: "Without words, without the wordless, will you tell me truth?"
The Buddha kept silence.
The philosopher bowed and thanked the Buddha, saying: "With your loving kindness I have cleared away my delusions and entered the true path."
After the philosopher had gone, Ananda asked the Buddha what he had attained.
The Buddha replied: "A good horse runs even at the shadow of the whip."
"Mumon's comment:" Ananda was the disciple of the Buddha. Even so, his opinion did not surpass that of outsiders. I want to ask you monks: How much difference is there between disciples and outsiders?
To tread the sharp edge of a sword,
To run on smooth-frozen ice,
One needs no footsteps to follow.
Walk over the cliffs with hands free.
"The Gateless Gate", by Ekai, called Mu-mon, tr. Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps [1934],
32. A Philosopher Asks Buddha
A philosopher asked Buddha: "Without words, without the wordless, will you tell me truth?"
The Buddha kept silence.
The philosopher bowed and thanked the Buddha, saying: "With your loving kindness I have cleared away my delusions and entered the true path."
After the philosopher had gone, Ananda asked the Buddha what he had attained.
The Buddha replied: "A good horse runs even at the shadow of the whip."
"Mumon's comment:" Ananda was the disciple of the Buddha. Even so, his opinion did not surpass that of outsiders. I want to ask you monks: How much difference is there between disciples and outsiders?
To tread the sharp edge of a sword,
To run on smooth-frozen ice,
One needs no footsteps to follow.
Walk over the cliffs with hands free.
