Blue Cliff Record 86

159
Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku, Biyan Lu) #86
Yunmen's "Everybody Has Her Own Light"

Personnel

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

Yuanwu's Introduction (Sekida)

Controlling the world, he allows not the least speck of dust to escape. He cuts off the deluded stream of thought, leaving not a drop behind. If you open your mouth, you are mistaken. If you doubt for a moment, you have missed the way. Tell me, what is the eye that has pierced the barriers? See the following.

Case (Sekida)

Yunmen spoke to his assembly and said, "Everybody has her own light. If she tries to see it, everything is darkness. What is everybody's light?"
Later, in place of the disciples he said, "The halls and the gate."[1]
And again he said, "Blessing things cannot be better than nothing."[2]

[1] "The kitchen pantry and the main gateway" (Cleary).
[2] "A good thing can't match nothing" (Cleary); “It would be better not to have even the best things” (Sato).

Xuedou's Verse (Sekida)

It illuminates itself,
Absolutely bright.
He gives a clue to the secret.
Flowers have fallen, trees give no shade;
Who does not see, if he looks?
Seeing is non-seeing, non-seeing is seeing.
Facing backward on the ox
He rides into the Buddha hall.

KOAN INDEX
Hotetsu's Verses on Koans