Yunmen’s “Dharma Body”

Yunmen’s “Dharma Body”

Yunmen was once asked by a monastic, “What does it mean to go beyond the dharma body?”
Yunmen said, “It is not difficult to tell you about going beyond it. But how do you understand the dharma body itself?”
The monastic said, “Master, please show me an example.”
Yunmen said, “I will give you an example. But first, how do you understand the dharma body itself?”
The monastic said, “It’s just as it is.”
Yunmen said, “This is what you have learned in the monastics’ hall. Let me ask you, does the dharma body eat rice?”
The monastic could not respond.

Student: “Why didn’t Yunmen tell the monastic how to go beyond the dharma body?”
Master: “Yunmen’s fault was only in the monastic’s ears.”
Student: “Does the dharma body eat rice?”
Master: “Why don’t you go beyond it?”

Commentary:
What can be gone beyond is not the dharma body.
If you go beyond what you can go beyond, you will be where you are anxious to be.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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