REGISTER

Deshan visited Longtan and questioned him sincerely far into the night.
It grew late and Longtan said, “Why don’t you retire?”
Deshan made his bows and lifted the blinds to withdraw but was met by darkness.
Turning back he said, “It is dark outside.”

Longtan lit a paper candle and handed it to Deshan.
Deshan was about to take it when Longtan blew it out.
At this, Deshan had a sudden realization and made bows.
Longtan said, “What truth did you discern?”
Deshan said, “From now on I will not doubt the words of an old priest who is renowned everywhere under the sun.”

The next day Longtan took the high seat before his assembly and said, “I see a brave fellow among you monks. His fangs are like a sword-tree. His mouth is like a blood-bowl. Give him a blow and he won’t turn his head. Someday he will climb the highest peak and establish our Way there.”

Deshan brought his notes on the Diamond Sutra before the Dharma Hall and held up a torch, saying, “Even though you have exhausted the abstruse doctrines, it is like placing a hair in vast space. Even though you have learned all the secrets of the world, it is like letting a single drop of water fall into an enormous valley.” And he burned up all his notes. Then, making his bows, he took leave of his teacher.

Wumen’s comment on this case feels like it should be part of the case. It goes like This:

Before Deshan crossed the barrier from his native province, his mind burned and his mouth sputtered. Full of arrogance, he went south to exterminate the doctrine of a special transmission outside the sutras. When he reached the road to Li-chou, he sought to buy refreshments from an old woman.

The old woman said, “Your Reverence, what sort of literature do you have there in your cart?”
Deshan said, “Notes and commentaries on the Diamond Sutra.”
The old woman said, “I hear the Diamond Sutra says, ‘Past mind cannot be grasped, present mind cannot be grasped, future mind cannot be grasped.’ Which mind does Your Reverence intend to refresh?”

Deshan was dumbfounded and unable to answer.
He did not expire completely under her words, however, but asked, “Is there a teacher of Zen Buddhism in this neighborhood?”
The old woman said,“The priest Longtan is about half a mile from here.”

Arriving at Longtan’s place, Deshan was utterly defeated. His earlier words certainly did not match his later ones. Longtan disgraced himself in his compassion for his son. Finding a bit of a live coal in the other, he took up muddy water and drenched him, destroying everything at once.

Viewing the matter dispassionately, you can see it was all a farce.

Last week we spent time with the eighty-year-old Deshan. This week we’re looking back at the younger Deshan, perhaps about forty years old. At that time, he very much thought he knew the last word of Zen and was on a campaign to teach others what it was and what it wasn’t. It’s nice to have an opportunity to appreciate how the practice keeps on going and how different the older, more mature Deshan was than his younger self.

But what does Wumen mean when he says, “Longtan disgraced himself in his compassion for his son.”? What was the muddy water that he drenched Deshan with? How is it a farce?

—David Weinstein

COME JOIN US on Tuesdays for koan meditation, dharma talk and conversation.
Register to participate. All are welcome.

David Weinstein Roshi, Director of Rockridge Meditation Community