Questions & Koans

Once upon a time there was a poisonous dragon in a village. It threatened the inhabitants there all the time. They tried to escape from the village, but they couldn’t because of the dangerous dragon. So, they invited 500 monks who had practised meditation a lot in order to expel the dragon out of the village. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t expel the dragon. These monks were rather threatened by it as well and they ran away after all. Then, a monk who looked very humble came to the village and offered to help them. The villagers didn’t expect much of him, having seen 500 monks being repulsed by the dragon instead of expelling it. However, as soon as the monk just flicked one of his fingers, the dragon disappeared perfectly.

Student: “How could the humble monk expel the dragon although the five hundred monks failed?”

Master: “Because of karma.”

Commentary:

Don’t think that a poisonous dragon appears to be dangerous and cruel, and the Buddha appears to be handsome and compassionate.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Part 27

“Subhuti, if you entertain the thought that the Realised One attained unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment through not holding the marks of perfection, you should not think this way. Subhuti, if you entertain the thought that those who aspire to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment should say that all things are extinguished and annihilated, you should not think this way. Why? Those who aspire to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment ought not say that all things are extinguished and annihilated.”

Commentary:

It is true that he who attained unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment never dwells on not only the marks of perfection but also all other things. However, not dwelling on anything doesn’t mean thinking of all things as extinguished and annihilated, but means looking upon them as the function of the true-Self. For example, when we see waves in the sea, thinking that each of the waves has its own unique nature and is different from the others in essence is dwelling on things, and seeing all the waves as nothing whatsoever is seeing all things as extinguished and annihilated. In fact, this is another type of dwelling on the image of nothing. However, he who sees everything as empty, or as it is and never dwells on anything, sees everything just as the constant function of the true-Self that is formless, boundless, changeless and nameless, is one who sees everything as it is.

Student: “Why is it that those who aspire to unexcelled complete perfect enlightenment ought not say that all things are extinguished and annihilated?”

Master: “If all things were extinguished and annihilated, who would ask whom like this?”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Try to cure your eye disease prior to trying in vain to remove false flowers in the air with a pole.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Once Yunmen was asked by a monastic, “When birth and death come, how do we avoid them?”  Yunmen said, “Where are they?”

Student: “Why did Yunmen say, ‘Where are they?’ when asked how to avoid birth and death?”

Master: “Because he is neither alive nor dead.”         

Commentary:

All our suffering comes from struggling to attain, or to avoid what doesn’t exist.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Part 26-3

At that point the World Honoured One said in verse, “Anyone who sees me in form, or who seeks me through sound, is travelling a heretical path and cannot see the Realised One.”

Commentary:

We can recognise spring by seeing young leaves and flowers although they are not spring that is formless, since we know that they are the function of spring. In the same way, we should know that all forms are the functions of the Realised One.

Anyone who tries to avoid, or discard forms

Also can’t see the Realised One.

Trying to see the Realised One by avoiding forms

Is trying to make bread by avoiding flour.

Student: “How can I see the Realised One without avoiding forms?”

Master: “You can see spring through flowers and buds.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. It is a mind that can see everything just as it is, without being deluded by images and words.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Master Hyunsa said, “If you fall in with a person who is blind, deaf and dumb, how would you treat him? If we can’t treat such a person properly, we can’t say that the Buddha’s teaching is divine.” Then, Jijang, one of his students said, “I can see, hear and speak. How would you treat me?” The master burst out laughing.

Student: “Why did the master laugh upon hearing Jijang’s words?”

Master: “I know that you are not blind, not deaf and not dumb.

Commentary:

Only one who is dumb can hear a dumb person’s words just as only birds can hear birds’ words.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Part 26-1,2

“Subhuti, what do you think—can you view the Realised One in terms of the thirty-two marks?” Subhuti said, “That’s the way it is—we can view the Realised One in terms of thirty-two marks.” The Buddha said, “If you view the Realised One in terms of the thirty-two marks, then a law-giving sage ruler would be a Realised One.” Subhuti said to the Buddha, “World Honoured One, as I understand the meaning of what the Buddha says, we should not view the Realised One in terms of the thirty-two marks.”

Commentary:

As mentioned repeatedly in preceding parts, the Realised One, the Buddha signifies Emptiness, the true-Self that is formless, boundless, changeless and nameless.

As the Avatamsaka Sutra says, “When sentient beings see the true-Self, they are swayed only by its form. They can’t see the Buddha, because they don’t know that the true-Self is formless”, we can’t recognise the Realised One, the Buddha since we are deluded by forms, or images. This is why Subhuti said, “We should not view the Realised One in terms of the thirty-two marks.”

Therefore, Bodhidharma said that we should be able to see and hear what is unseen and unheard to the effect that we ought not to be deluded by images and words. When we see, or hear a thing, we ought to know that it is a function of what is unseen, or unheard.

Student: “How can I see the Buddha if we can’t see Him through thirty-two marks?”

Master: “We can see Him through thirty-two marks.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. When people fight, their goals are to get, or protect and keep something from their opponent, or enemy. They know that they are destined to die someday.

However, they are not aware that they are one with what they want to obtain and their enemy, and that killing their enemy is killing themselves.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Master Hyunsa said, “If you fall in with a person who is blind, deaf and dumb, how would you treat him? If we can’t treat such a person properly, we can’t say that the Buddha’s teaching is divine.” Then, Jijang, one of his students said, “I can see, hear and speak. How would you treat me?” The master burst out laughing.

Student: “What did Jijang mean by his words?”

Master: “He treated the person well.”

Commentary:

Treating him with care is disgracing him.

©Boo AhmAll writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway