A student asked Xiangyang, "What is the Way?"
Xiangyan said, "Dragon murmurings in a withered tree."
"What is a person of the Way?"
"Eyes in a skull."
Later, the student asked Xishuang, "What are 'dragon murmurings in a withered tree'?"
Xishuang replied, "I still have joy."
Later still, the student asked Caoshan, "Who can hear these dragon murmurings?"
Caoshan replied, "There is no one in the world who isn't hearing it."
"What book is 'dragon murmurings in a withered tree' from?"
"I don't know what book it's from, but everyone who hears it dies."
—from Xuedou's verse commentary on Blue Cliff Record Case 2
PZI Zen Online – We are in a time ‘before moonlight’ with covid and massive unemployment that has resulted- with great unknowns ahead. Dreams in zen are not so different from waking life. We make up stories about what will happen. But we are passing through a gate of meeting and not recognizing. How do you make your way? Step by step. As recorded May 25.
