Yunyan’s Lion

Yunyan’s Lion

Guishan asked Yunyan, “I hear that you played with a lion when you were at Yaoshan’s. Is it true?”
Yunyan said, “Yes, it is.”
Guishan said, “Did you always play with it, or did you sometimes stop?”
Yunyan said, “I played when I wanted to. I stopped when I wanted to.”
Guishan said, “Where was the lion when you stopped?”
Yunyan said, “Stop! Stop!”

Student: “Why did Yunyan say, ‘Stop! Stop!’?”
Master: “He played with the lion.”
Student: “Why did he play with it when asked where the lion was when he stopped playing with it?”
Master: “Because it is always where it plays even when it stops playing.”

Commentary:
Playing is to stopping as the right is to the left.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenfools http://ow.ly/i/EWSag