Blue Cliff Record 98

188
Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku, Biyan Lu) #98
Tianping's Two Wrongs

Personnel and Date

• XIYUAN Siming (Saiin Shimyô, 860?-930?, 13th gen), disciple of Baoshou Yanzhao
• TIANPING Congyi (Tempyô Jûi, 900?-970?, 16th gen), disciple of Qingxi "Jinshan" Hongjin
Date guess: ca. 960s for concluding part. First part: perhaps in the 920s, when Tianping was 20-something and Xiyuan was 60-something

Yuanwu's Introduction (Sato)

For the whole summer one has been loquaciously creating entanglements,
Confounding almost all the monks of the Five Lakes.
[When] the diamond sword cuts right through,
One realizes for the first time that it has all been totally in vain.
Just say: What is the diamond sword?
Lifting up the eyebrows, I will expose the sword-tip to test you, look!

Case (Sekida)

When Tianping Congyi went on a pilgrimage visiting teachers, he stayed with Xiyuan Siming. He [Tianping] always said, "Don't say you understand Buddhism. I find no one who can speak on it."
One day Xiyuan heard him and called, "Congyi!"
Tianping looked up at Xiyuan.
Xiyuan said, "Wrong!"
Tianping walked a few steps away and Xiyuan once again said, "Wrong!"
Tianping turned and approached Xiyuan, who said, "I have just said, 'Wrong!' Who is wrong? Am I or are you?"
Tianping said, "I am."
Xiyuan said, "Wrong!"
Tianping said nothing.
Xiyuan said, "Stay here this summer and let us discuss the two wrongs."
But Tianping instead left Xiyuan.
[Part 2: perhaps in the 960s]
Later, when Tianping was abbot of his own temple, he said to his disciples, "When I went on pilgrimage it happened, in the course of events, that I was brought to see Abbot Siming, who told me twice that I was wrong. It was not then that I was wrong, however, but when I first started south on my pilgrimage. I had already said it was wrong."

Xuedou's Verse (Sekida)

Zen people are too often frivolous;
They study much, learn much, but to no avail.
How deplorable, laughable, is old Tianping!
You say you were wrong to make a pilgrimage:
Wrong! Wrong!
Xiyuan's good words grow pale beside my "Wrong."
Once again Xuedou says,
"Some monk may come forth and say, 'Wrong!'
Can you tell my 'Wrong' from Tianping's?"

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