Blue Cliff Record 46

167
Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku, Biyan Lu) #46
Jingqing's "Voice of the Raindrops"

Personnel

• JINGQING Daofu (Kyosei Dofu, 868-937, 13th gen), disciple of Xuefeng
• An unnamed monk

Yuanwu's Introduction (Sato)

One strike of the gavel and Buddhahood is achieved, transcending the ordinary and overreaching the holy.
With half a phrase a settlement is made, undoing fetters and loosening attachments.
Like walking across icy peaks, or running over knife edges.
Though he sits within a heap of sounds and colors, he passes over the top of sounds and colors.
Putting aside for the moment the wondrous and completely free activity, what about the time when one fully realizes in an instant.
To test I bring this forth, look!

Case (Sekida)

Jingqing asked a monk, "What is the noise outside?"
The monk said, "That is the voice of the raindrops."
Jingqing said, "Men's thinking is topsy-turvy. Deluded by their own selves, they pursue things."[1]
The monk asked, "What about yourself?"
Jingqing said, "I was near it but am not deluded."[2]
The monk asked, "What do you mean by 'near it but not deluded'?"
Jingqing said, "To say it in the sphere of realization may be easy, but to say it in the sphere of transcendence is difficult."[3]

[1] “People live in a topsy-turvy world. They lose themselves in delusion about themselves and only pursue [outside] objects” (Sato); "Ordinary people are upside-down, losing themselves in pursuit of things" (Cleary).
[2] “I was on the brink of losing myself in delusions about myself” (Sato); "Getting to not losing self" (Cleary)
[3] “To break through [into the world of Essence] may be easy. But to express it in total gone-ness is difficult” (Sato); "Emerging can be relatively easy; total expression must be hard" (Cleary).

Xuedou's Verse (Sekida)

The empty hall resounds with the voice of the raindrops.
Even a master fails to answer.
If you say you have turned the current,
You have no true understanding.
Understanding? No understanding?
Misty with rain, the norther and southern mountains.

KOAN INDEX
Hotetsu's Verses on Koans