Eno, the sixth patriarch, was pursued by Monk Emyo up to Daiyurei. The patriarch, seeing Emyo coming, laid the robe and the bowl on a rock, and said to him, "This robe represents the faith. Is it to be fought for by force? You may take them now." Emyo went to move the bowl and the robe and yet they were as heavy as mountains. He could not move them. Hesitating and trembling, Emyo asked the patriarch, "I come for the teaching, not for the robe. Please enlighten me!" The patriarch said, "What is primordially Emyo (i.e., your true self), if you do not think this is good nor do you think this is evil?" At that moment Emyo was greatly awakened. His whole body was covered with sweat. Emyo cried, bowed, and said, "Is there or is there not any other (deep) significance (in Zen) than your secret words and teachings a minute ago?" The patriarch answered, "What I have told you is no secret at all. Once you have realized your own true self, the depth (in Zen) rather belongs to you!" Emyo said, "When I was at Obai with the other monks, I never realized what my true self was. Now you have dispersed the clouds of my ignorance to realize it, just like a man capable of discerning warm and cold by tasting water. From now on you are my teacher!" The patriarch said, "We both have Obai for our teacher. Guard your own self!"
Mumon's Comments: We should say that the sixth patriarch was in an emergency. This revelation of his, however, resembles the deed of an overly protective grandmother, who peeled a fresh lichi (a dessert fruit), removed its stone and put it to her grandchild's mouth ready for him to swallow.
You describe it in vain, you picture it to no avail, Praising it is useless, cease to worry about it at all. It is your true self, it has nowhere to hide,
Even if the universe is annihilated, it is not destroyed.[3]
What did your face look like before your parents were born?
Interpretationedit
The "original face" points to "the nonduality of subject and object":[1]
[T]he phrase "father and mother" alludes to duality. This is obvious to someone versed in the Chinese tradition, where so much philosophical thought is presented in the imagery of paired opposites. The phrase "your original face" alludes to the original nonduality.[4]
Comparable statements are: "Look at the flower and the flower also looks"; "Guest and host interchange".[1]
It is not "pure consciousness", as it is often understood in western thinking,[5] reached by "cleaning the doors of perception":[a]
[A] pure consciousness without concepts, if there could be such a thing, would be a booming, buzzing confusion, a sensory field of flashes of light, unidentifiable sounds, ambiguous shapes, color patches without significance. This is not the consciousness of the enlightened Zen master.[7]
Commentsedit
Zen masters have commented on the original face:
"Sweep away thoughts!" means one must do zazen. Once thoughts are quieted, the Original Face appears. Thoughts can be compared to clouds. When clouds vanish, the moon appears. The moon of suchness is the Original Face. Thoughts are also like the fogging of a mirror. When you wipe away all condensation, a mirror reflects clearly. Quiet your thoughts and behold your Original Face before you were born!
— Daito
Cease practice based On intellectual understanding, Pursuing words and Following after speech. Learn the backward Step that turns Your light inward To illuminate within. Body and mind of themselves Will drop away And your original face will be manifest.
You cannot describe it or draw it, You cannot praise it enough or perceive it. No place can be found in which To put the Original Face; It will not disappear even When the universe is destroyed.
^"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thru' narrow chinks of his cavern." William Blake[6]
^See [9] for original interpunctuation, which has been removed here, due to Wikipedia mark-up
^ abcKeith Kumasen Abbott, Satori Kitty Roshi Style (Or, Enlightenment Practices For Stones). A Commentary on Philip Whalen's "Metaphysical Insomnia Jazz Mumonkan xxix"
Sourcesedit
Falk, Jane (2009), Finger Pointing at the Moon. Zen and the Poetry of Philip Whalen. In: John Whalen-Bridge (2009), "The Emergence of Buddhist American Literature", SUNY Press
Hori, Victor Sogen (2000), Koan and Kensho in the Rinzai Zen Curriculum. In: Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright (eds)(2000): "The Koan. Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Red Pine (2008), The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng, Counterpoint Press
Shimomissé, Eiichi (1998), THE GATELESS GATE
External linksedit
TriCycle, Green Koans case 12: Original Face"
January 26, 2024
original, face, original, face, term, buddhism, pointing, nonduality, subject, object, contents, origins, interpretation, comments, artistic, impressions, philip, whalen, stuart, davis, also, notes, references, sources, external, linksorigins, editthe, phrase,. The original face is a term in Zen Buddhism pointing to the nonduality of subject and object 1 Contents 1 Origins 2 Interpretation 3 Comments 4 Artistic impressions 4 1 Philip Whalen 4 2 Stuart Davis 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 Sources 9 External linksOrigins editThe phrase original face originates in Huangbo s Chuanhsin fayao 857 and the Hui sin edition 967 of the Platform Sutra 2 When you re not thinking of anything good and anything bad at that moment what is your original face 2 This question appears in case 23 of the Mumonkan CASE 23 ENO S GOOD AND EVILEno the sixth patriarch was pursued by Monk Emyo up to Daiyurei The patriarch seeing Emyo coming laid the robe and the bowl on a rock and said to him This robe represents the faith Is it to be fought for by force You may take them now Emyo went to move the bowl and the robe and yet they were as heavy as mountains He could not move them Hesitating and trembling Emyo asked the patriarch I come for the teaching not for the robe Please enlighten me The patriarch said What is primordially Emyo i e your true self if you do not think this is good nor do you think this is evil At that moment Emyo was greatly awakened His whole body was covered with sweat Emyo cried bowed and said Is there or is there not any other deep significance in Zen than your secret words and teachings a minute ago The patriarch answered What I have told you is no secret at all Once you have realized your own true self the depth in Zen rather belongs to you Emyo said When I was at Obai with the other monks I never realized what my true self was Now you have dispersed the clouds of my ignorance to realize it just like a man capable of discerning warm and cold by tasting water From now on you are my teacher The patriarch said We both have Obai for our teacher Guard your own self Mumon s Comments We should say that the sixth patriarch was in an emergency This revelation of his however resembles the deed of an overly protective grandmother who peeled a fresh lichi a dessert fruit removed its stone and put it to her grandchild s mouth ready for him to swallow You describe it in vain you picture it to no avail Praising it is useless cease to worry about it at all It is your true self it has nowhere to hide Even if the universe is annihilated it is not destroyed 3 This koan is transformed in the question What did your face look like before your parents were born Interpretation editThe original face points to the nonduality of subject and object 1 T he phrase father and mother alludes to duality This is obvious to someone versed in the Chinese tradition where so much philosophical thought is presented in the imagery of paired opposites The phrase your original face alludes to the original nonduality 4 Comparable statements are Look at the flower and the flower also looks Guest and host interchange 1 It is not pure consciousness as it is often understood in western thinking 5 reached by cleaning the doors of perception a A pure consciousness without concepts if there could be such a thing would be a booming buzzing confusion a sensory field of flashes of light unidentifiable sounds ambiguous shapes color patches without significance This is not the consciousness of the enlightened Zen master 7 Comments editZen masters have commented on the original face Sweep away thoughts means one must do zazen Once thoughts are quieted the Original Face appears Thoughts can be compared to clouds When clouds vanish the moon appears The moon of suchness is the Original Face Thoughts are also like the fogging of a mirror When you wipe away all condensation a mirror reflects clearly Quiet your thoughts and behold your Original Face before you were born Daito Cease practice based On intellectual understanding Pursuing words and Following after speech Learn the backward Step that turns Your light inward To illuminate within Body and mind of themselves Will drop away And your original face will be manifest Dogen You cannot describe it or draw it You cannot praise it enough or perceive it No place can be found in which To put the Original Face It will not disappear even When the universe is destroyed MumonArtistic impressions editPhilip Whalen edit The American poet Philip Whalen has written a poem Metaphysical Insomnia Jazz Mumonkan xxix inspired by the Original Face koan 8 OfCourse I could go to sleep right here With all the lights on amp the radio going April is behind the refrigerator Far from the wicked city Far from the virtuous town I met my fragile Kitty In her greeny silken gownfairly near the summit of Nanga Parbat amp back again the wind flapping the prayer flags IT IS THE WIND MOVING IT IS THE FLAG MOVING Hypnotized by the windshield swipes Mr Harold Wood Back amp forth back amp forth We walked beside the moony lake Eating dried apricots Lemons bananas amp bright wedding cake amp benefits forgot IT IS THE MIND MOVING amp now I m in my bed aloneWide awake as any stone 9 b Keith Kumasen has commented on this poem 9 Stuart Davis edit The American Buddhist musician Stuart Davis has recorded a song called Original Face The chorus goes There s a light bulb in everyoneBright enough to swallow the sun Every mask will be erased There is just the original face See also editthe Five Ranks of TozanNotes edit If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is infinite For man has closed himself up till he sees all things thru narrow chinks of his cavern William Blake 6 See 9 for original interpunctuation which has been removed here due to Wikipedia mark upReferences edit a b c Hori 2000 p 289 a b Red Pine 2008 p 120 Shimomisse 1998 Hori 2000 p 289 290 Hori 2000 p 282 286 Quote DB Hori 2000 p 284 Falk 2009 a b c Keith Kumasen Abbott Satori Kitty Roshi Style Or Enlightenment Practices For Stones A Commentary on Philip Whalen s Metaphysical Insomnia Jazz Mumonkan xxix Sources editFalk Jane 2009 Finger Pointing at the Moon Zen and the Poetry of Philip Whalen In John Whalen Bridge 2009 The Emergence of Buddhist American Literature SUNY Press Hori Victor Sogen 2000 Koan and Kensho in the Rinzai Zen Curriculum In Steven Heine and Dale S Wright eds 2000 The Koan Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism Oxford Oxford University Press Red Pine 2008 The Platform Sutra The Zen Teaching of Hui neng Counterpoint Press Shimomisse Eiichi 1998 THE GATELESS GATEExternal links editTriCycle Green Koans case 12 Original Face Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Original face amp oldid 1190509100, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
