Touzi’s “Harmonising the Ten Bodies”
Touzi Datong was once asked by a monastic, “What is the harmonising of the ten bodies of the Buddha?” Touzi got down from the sitting platform and stood with folded hands. On another occasion a monastic asked, “What distance is there between ordinary ones and the sacred one?” Touzi got down from the sitting platform and stood with folded hands.
Student: “Why did Touzi get down from the sitting platform and stand with folded hands when he was asked about the harmonising of the ten bodies of the Buddha?”
Master: “Because you didn’t see the Buddha but saw just Touzi.”
Student: “Why did Touzi get down from the sitting platform and stand with folded hands when he was asked about the distance between ordinary ones and the sacred one?”
Master: “What is right before one’s eyes is as invisible as if it were thousands of miles away to the blind.”
Commentary:
When you see ordinary ones and the sacred one at the same time, there is no distance at all between them.
When you can see only the ordinary ones, the distance is beyond description because the sacred one is invisible.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway http://ow.ly/i/Aofqi
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