Alive or Dead? I Won't Say (BCR55)

KOAN:

Daowu and Jianyuan visited a house in mourning to offer their condolences.
Jianyuan struck the coffin with his hand and asked, “Alive or dead?”
Daowu said, “I’m not saying alive, I’m not saying dead.”
Jianyuan asked, “Why won’t you say?”
Daowu said, “I’m not saying! I’m not saying!”
On the way home, Jianyuan stopped in the middle of the road and demanded,
“Tell me right now, Teacher. If you don’t say, I’m going to hit you and leave.”
Daowu said, “You can hit me, but even if you do, I still won’t say.”
Jianyuan hit him.

After Daowu died, Jianyuan went to Shishuang and told him this story.
Shishuang said, “I’m not saying alive, I’m not saying dead.”
Jianyuan asked, “Why won’t you say?”
Shishuang said, “I’m not saying! I’m not saying!”
At these words, Jianyuan had an opening.

One day, Jianyuan took a spade and went into the teaching hall.
From the east he crossed to the west, and from the west he crossed to the east.
“What are you doing?” asked Shishuang.
Jianyuan said, “I’m searching for our old teacher’s sacred bones.”
Shishuang said, “Floods reach the horizon, whitecaps drown the sky.
What sort of teacher’s sacred bones are you looking for?”
(Xuedou comments, “Blue heavens! Blue heavens!”)
Jianyuan said, “This is truly good; it makes me strong.”

Later, Fu of Taiyuan said, “Our teacher’s sacred bones are still here.”

—Blue Cliff Record Case 55

(transl. by John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland,
titled: Daowu & Jianyuan Offer Condolences)