Australia and the World Past and Present

Kyogen up a Tree

Kyogen said: “Zen is like a man hanging in a tree by his teeth over a precipice. His hands grasp no branch, his feet rest on no limb, and under the tree another person asks him: ‘Why did Bodhidharma come to China from India?’

“If the man in the tree does not answer, he fails; and if he does answer, he falls and loses his life. Now what shall he do?”

Mumon’s comment: In such a predicament the most talented eloquence is of no use. If you have memorized all the sutras, you cannot use them. When you can give the right answer, even though your past road was one of death, you open up a new road of life. But if you cannot answer, you should live ages hence and ask the future Buddha, Maitreya.

Kyogen is truly a fool
Spreading that ego-killing poison
That closes his pupils’ mouths
And lets their tears stream from their dead eyes.

Translation into Japanese

狂言が木に登る

狂言は言った。「禅は、断崖絶壁の上に歯でぶら下がっている男のようだ。手は枝をつかまず、足は枝の上に立たず、木の下で別の人が彼に尋ねる。『達磨はなぜインドから中国に来たのか？』

「木の上にいる男が答えなければ失敗し、答えれば落ちて命を失う。」さあ、彼は何をするだろうか？」

無門のコメント：このような窮地では、どんなに優れた雄弁も役に立たない。経典をすべて暗記したとしても、それを使うことはできない。正しい答えを出すことができれば、たとえ過去の道が死の道であったとしても、新たな生の道が開ける。しかし、答えられないなら、何世紀も後に生き、未来の仏陀、弥勒に尋ねるべきだ。

狂言はまさに愚か者だ
自我を殺す毒を撒き散らし
生徒の口を閉じさせ
死んだ目から涙を流させる。

Notes on translation:

狂言 – Kyougen translates literally as ‘crazy words’. An apt name for a zen master. The first character may also means ‘king of the beasts’. Another way of saying it may be ‘the wily old fox’

弥勒 – Miroku is the Japanese name for Maitreya. It is said that Miroku is the buddha that will appear in the future