Deshan’s “Neither Asking nor Not Asking”
Deshan said to the assembly, “If you ask, you have missed it. If you don’t ask, you have also missed it.” Then a monastic stepped forward and made a bow. Deshan hit him. The monastic said, “I haven’t even asked yet. Why did you hit me?” Deshan said, “What difference would it make if I had waited till you spoke?”
Student: “Why did Deshan hit the monastic?”
Master: “Because he didn’t ask him.”
Student: “Should he have asked him?”
Master: “He would have been hit even if he had asked him.”
Student: “What should he have done?”
Master: “He should have hit the master before being hit by him.”
Commentary:
‘Ask’ is an imaginary line.
Even though you think that you will not ask, you are still caught by the illusion of ‘ask’.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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