Blue Cliff Record 54

154
Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku, Biyan Lu) #54
Yunmen Stretches Out His Hand"

Personnel

• YUNMEN Wenyan (Ummon Bunen, 864-949, 13th gen), disciple of Xuefeng
• An unnamed monk

Yuanwu's Introduction (Sekida)

Transcending life and death, actualizing Zen spirit, he casually cuts through iron and nails, lightly moves heaven and earth. Tell me, whose doing can that be? See the following.

Case (Sekida)

Yunmen asked a monk, "Where have you recently come from?"
The monk said, "From Xichan."
Yunmen said, "What words has Xichan offered lately?"
The monk stretched out his hands.
Yunmen struck him.
The monk said, "I had something to tell you."[1]
Yunmen now stretched out his own hands.
The monk was silent.
Yunmen struck him.

[1] Or "I'm still talking" (Cleary); "I have something to say about it" (Sato).

Xuedou's Verse (Sekida, italics Cleary)

Controlling the head and tail of the tiger,

Taking the tiger's head and the tiger's tail at the same time,

Exerting invincible influence
Over the four hundred provinces,

That stern majesty extends throughout all regions.

How precipitous he is!

At the final question, he didn't know -- how very dangerous!

The master says,
"On further word, I leave it open."

Xuedou says, "I've given up a move."

KOAN INDEX
Hotetsu's Verses on Koans