What did Zuigan mean by such a strange monologue?
Every day Zuigan used to call out to himself, “Master!” and then he answered himself, “Yes, Sir!” And he added, “Awake, awake!” and then answered, “Yes, Sir! Yes, Sir!” “From now onwards, do not be deceived by others!” “No, Sir! I will not, Sir!”
Student: “What did Zuigan mean by such a strange monologue?”
Master: “He meant ‘strange’.”
Student: “What is it?”
Master: “Strange.”
Student: “I still can’t make sense out of it. Say a little more.”
Master: “Why don’t you know the ‘strange’ that you yourself just mentioned? It is you that are really strange.”
Commentary:
It is not for the sake of showing off his lantern but for the sake of others seeing him that a blind man carries a lantern during a night trip.
It is not for the sake of showing off his voice but for the sake of others hearing him that a blind man sings during a night trip.
The foolish, not aware that they themselves are strange, think of him as strange.
When Zuigan’s monologue is strange, all other things are also strange because all things are from the same root.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway http://ow.ly/i/vB4td
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