ED, I peaked ahead at a reply from Anthony and agree wholeheartedly with him that that Buddha Nature could very well be 'explained' with the phrase WYSIWYG. You could spice that up a little by adding to 'see' the other senses - hear, taste, smell, feel; but those divisions are illusory anyway. Better replace 'see' with just 'experience' - so how about Buddha Nature = WYEIWYG?
Buddha Nature is pure experience and as such is non-dualistic. Dogen asked Hyakujo a question that required a dualistic, rational, intellect-inspired answer. Hyakujo was not going to fall into that dualistic trap so he asked Dogen to come forward to give him a non-dualistic response. Dogen also wanted to avoid the dualistic trap and beat Hyakujo to the punch by pinching his nose. Hyakujo experienced pain (or 'feel') which 'spoke' directly to Buddha Nature whereas most any kind of verbal response, especially one which was based on reason or intellect, would have only have 'spoken' to his intellect and not Buddha Nature. Hyakujo of course recognized this (he was probably going to do something similar to Dogen) and praised Dogen as someone who successfully communicated Buddha Nature by comparing him to Bodhidharma (red-bearded Barbarian). Buddha Nature = WYEIWYG, and absolutely NOT 'what you THINK about or JUDGE or RATIONALIZE is what you get'. If you do that the results are NOT 'what you get', they're 'what you fantasize (illusions). ...Bill! --- In [email protected], "ED" <seacrofter001@...> wrote: > > > > Bill!, > > Can you give me/us a hint as to how this story/koan demonstrates Buddha > Nature? Thanks. > > --ED > > > > --- In [email protected], "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > ED, > > > > There's no 'message' here, at least no intentional one. Zen koans are > not intended to impart messages or knowledge. They are intended to > demonstrate Buddha Nature. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > > > Bill! and All, > > > > > > Zenist word games are cute! > > > > > > But, in your opinion, what is the message? > > > > > > --ED > > > > > > > Anthony, > > > > > > > > You only told half the story... > > > > > > > > After Hyakujo had buried the fox one of his students (Obaku)asked > him, > > > 'If the old man who had been turned into a fox had originally > answered > > > correctly, what then?' Hyakujo replied, 'Come closer and I'll tell > you.' > > > As Obaku aproached he reached out and pinched Hyakujo's nose. At > that > > > Hyakujo clapped his hands and exclaimed, 'I thought the barbarian's > > > beard was red, but here is a barbarian with a red beard!' > > > > > > > > See THE GATELESS GATE, Case #2 for a full translation...Bill! > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu wuasg@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > fbMerle, > > > > > > > > > > Looks like you have not heard the story of the Wild Fox Zen. I > will > > > present it in a simple way. The famous Chinese monk Hyakujo > (literally a > > > hundred yard) found an old man always present in his dharma talk. He > > > curiously asked who he was, and was replied that he was a fox, and > had > > > stayed that way for 500 years. The reason why he reincarnated as a > fox > > > for so long was that he claimed that a successful practitioner would > > > have escaped the law of cause and effect. To that, Hyakujo gave the > old > > > man a 'turning word' that successful practice will not 'obscure the > > > causative law. The old man was immediately liberated. After the > dharma > > > talk that night, the sangha discovered a corpse of a wild fox, and > they > > > buried him according to the sangha ritual. That is the story of > Master > > > Hundred Yard and the Fox. > > > > > > > > > > Anthony > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
