Blue Cliff Record 6

147
Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku, Biyan Lu) #6
Yunmen's "Every Day is a Good Day"

Personnel

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

Case (Sekida)

Yunmen addressed the assembly and said, "I am not asking you about the days before the fifteenth of the month. But what about after the fifteenth? Come and give me a word about those days."
And he himself gave the answer for them: "Every day is a good day."

Xuedou's Verse (Sekida, italics Cleary)

Setting aside one, you gained seven;

Throwing away one, he picks up seven:

No one can rival you -- above, below, or in the four directions.

Above, below, in the four directions, none can match.

Quietly wading the rapids, you extinguish the sound of the waters.

Placidly walking along, he treads down the sound of the flowing stream;

Watching at leisure, you retain the tracks of flying birds.

His relaxed gaze descries the tracks of flying birds.

Grass grows rampant, mist lies thick.

Grasses grow thick, mists overhang;

Famed for emptiness in zazen,
Yet flowers rain down on you; for shame!

'Round Subhuti's cliff, the flowers make a mess.

Snapping my fingers, I scold you, Sunyata.

Voidness is lamentable. Don't make a move.

Don't be confused!
Or else -- thirty blows!

If you move, you get thirty blows.

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