2023-04-04 Mumonkan 18 Tozan and Three Pounds of Flax

8:13PM Apr 17, 2023

Speakers:

Sensei Amala Wrightson

Richard von Sturmer

Keywords:

pounds

tarzan

flex

buddha

question

zen

toes

choosing

chinese

oman

bit

border

showed

flags

monk

answer

habits

words

flax

wedges

The talk you're about to hear is by Zen teacher Sensei Amala Wrightson.

Today is the fourth of April 2023. And we're going to take up a koan from the Mumonkan tonight: "Tozan and Three Pounds of Flax." This koan also appears in Hekiganroku, number 12. And we'll just start off with the whole thing, the case and of the commentary and verse.

"Tozan and Three Pounds of Flax." The case very short. A monk asked Tozan: what is Buddha. Tozan said, three pounds of flax. And the commentary from Mumon:

Old Tozan, attained the poor Zen of a clam. He opened two halves of the shell and a bit expose the liver and intestines. But though this may be so tell me where do you see Tozan?

And in the verse, three pounds of flex, it is thrust forth, the words are intimate, even more so as the mind whatever whoever argues right and wrong, is enslaved by right and wrong. Whoever argues right and wrong is enslaved by right and wrong. So first of all, a little bit about this tow zone. And this is not a tow zone that we're more familiar with Tarzan, Rio Kai, or Dong Xiao Yan J in Chinese, but rather, another Dong Shan altos on Jin Dong Shan show true in Chinese. He was a disciple of Oman, the great Oman and just a little bit a little bit about him

so this this Tarzan was born in in 910. So at the end of the tongue in the province of Shane C in northern China, and he travelled vast distance from there down to Kwangtung. To study under Oman, and Sigurdur ads, he must have been, must have experienced indescribable hardships, for there was no method of travel other than by foot. Although a Chinese adage of the time declared blizzard of 1000 days at home cursor is one day of traveling. It was a characteristic of Zen monks, that they roam the length and breadth of China seeking masters under whom they could study. And there are certainly lots of stories about the enormous journeys that the monks made in order to seek out the truth. Really, probably quite an intimate, unimaginable hardships all kinds of weather, all kinds of terrain. sleeping outside most likely some or at least some of the time and this this Tozer particular Tozan was one of those

little bit more on this toes on not a great deal. But some more in any Ferguson Zen is Chinese heritage

and there is Tony food. And he Ferguson gives a an account of Tarzan's awakening under Oman. And he uses he uses the Chinese names here. So young men, and the second part of Tarzan's Chinese name showed you. So your run asks chaussure Where did you come from? With a leading question and Zen is wanting more than just just the facts here. Wants to sin get a sense of this disciple this pilgrims spirit is where he's coming from shochu replied from Chado human said where did you spend the summer shochu said at Bouchy temple in Hoonah. Yun one then asked, When did you leave there? The 25th Day of the eighth month. And so these these ongoing questions to give this pilgrim a chance to to show with his mettle. But but your mind then says I spare you three rows of the staff. In some in some versions it's 30 blows of the staff so a strong it seems dressing down from your main the next day showed you inquired to human about the previous day's conversation. He said yesterday the master said he would spare me three blows of the stuff. I don't know what mistake I committed and given to understand in the story that that he struggled all through the night this was not an idle question. But coming from deep inside him I don't know what mistake I committed and we can look at his answers and see that there was there were straightforward. He wasn't posturing or lying or anything he was just giving us giving straight answers and then Yunmen says rice bag will you go on like this throughout Jiang shi and Hunan and these words show true experienced great enlightenment very much what would have been going on all through the night was a factor in in this the student was ready for these words rice bag to cut through them. After this experience is opening should and this doesn't appear in the in the con but since it's part of the mando which for which the client has taken should you then said from this time forward, I forsake any abode. I'll store not a grain of rice no plant even a stalk of vegetable receiving what comes from the 10 directions. Use it to pull out nails and drought wedges. To to pull out nails and draw out ridges. Wedges is a way of saying Awakening people liberating people in other words, helping them to remove the obstacles nails on wedges taking off the greasy head in the smelly shirt. I'll put I'll spread the teaching freely. I'm guessing the the greasy head and smelly shirt are greasy hat maybe his all his opinions and cherished beliefs and the smelly shirt. Perhaps you could say habits unhelpful habits It is not is it not joyous to be among unconcerned with the world's fears and human then comments on this your body's as big as a palm tree, your mouth wide like a Tigers showed you then bowed. So certainly, this is this is praise from young men who was bearing in his praising any of his students. So that's that's his, this Tarzan's background of awakening. And then as a few weeks as a few brief examples of his teaching, after taking up residence as a teacher show to address the monk saying, language doesn't help matters. speech does not bring forth the truth. Those burdened by language are lost. Those held up by words are diluted. Do you understand? You Petch road monks should be clear about it. If you come here, you must start using the Dharma i That's a Ye is just like I say, but I've heard about one thing. What era is there in the words I've spoken? So he's quite mischievous here and giving this teaching and then saying is his aid here but not saying well, how? And so he's hitting the ball back into the corner of those listeners listeners. Don't get caught up in the word see through the words to the truth. Find out for yourselves don't don't rely on me

among us, what is it when one takes the distant journey shoujo said if the weather is clear, you can't go wait until the rain soaks your head. So seemingly turning his answer upside down wait until the rain soaks your head. He'd probably had much experience of of his the rain soaking his head as he went on pilgrimage himself

similarly among as to what did all the ancient holy ones do? Showed you said into the mud into the water and then another one which is the basis of our corn today. Amanda has what is border shows Drew said three pounds of flags. I'll get to that moment

another month asked what is the meaning of the phrase the 10,000 conditions CeCe showed you said inside the pot, the stone person sells date fruit balls seems to have been trying to bring us bring us the question of down to earth all this loft isa such talk of 10,000 conditions seating ceasing last one was show choose sword why the student wants to know shochu said wrong Why Why was this question wrong?

You don't have any any account of show Jews don't shun churches passing away just the year 99 990 Which would mean that he was about 80 when he died

so now we can turn to our case. It's probably one of the shortest cases in anywhere in any of the collections among us Tosa shooter. What is Buddha toes on said three pounds of flex. First of all this question, what is border? It appears in many mando as an as an opening Question. Quiet ended, it appears in quite a few cons maybe four or five in the Mumonkan What does it mean? A Buddha? A Buddha is an enlightened one. So really what what the Zen monks asking about is what is enlightenment? And they're not meaning what is the the explanation or the description of enlightenment but what is it itself what is the experience here now not not the explanation what is Buddha we might might think of it in slightly different terms now perhaps what is what is true freedom what is what is real peace and wisdom and compassion and a person what is their How do I hide away realize it

and we have Tarzan's response three pounds of flags in the in the Japanese this is just three syllables must again and it's it's maths again has taken up sometime sometimes a little bit like like Mu becomes everything but when you break it down mais flex sa three in lb flex three pounds

what's what's this all about this mass again?

Sigurdur in his commentary on this, he says about this mess again. It is not a lukewarm philosophical statement such as the Buddha body, such as the Buddha body pervades the universe and manifests itself before all sentient beings. Or every single thing is nothing but Buddha. If it remained only a philosophical statement like that, it could never be praised as an especially outstanding Mondo and Zen circles. In this answer, we see the truth vividly working, penetrating through space and time, life and death, subject and object and transcending all intellect and reasoning. If you cannot see it you have not grasped the life and spirit of master Tarzan

life and spirit of master Tarzan in this in this mass again it's not it's not symbolic, it's not metaphorical. It's not conceptual. It's it's anything but abstract. the thing itself we might might imagine that when he was asked this question, Tarzan was perhaps pounding the flex to make it into fibers or perhaps weighing it. But this isn't doesn't have to be something in front of him. He could also be be just having a come into his mind and rememory of of three pounds of flex. We saw it before him. And in in working on this car, it's very important as the spirit of it and and and demonstrating it using it Different something different that that captures the the the essence of this because it's not like we take it literally that borders is to be found in three pounds of flex or certainly not found any more in three pounds effects than anywhere else not to attach in any way to three pounds of flex there's a saying I'm not sure where this comes from gold dust is precious but if it gets in the eyes it can cause blindness if we if we elevate this this three pounds of flex to some kind of icon then we're missing the point completely and what it'll get in our way is three rounds of flags will given away cause blindness

we might say well this is this this answer comes about up because everything is motor that's that's an abstraction other way of understanding it we could use take take the cue from the lines in affirming faith in mind mind is mine because of things as things are things because of mind is not toes on on the one hand and and the the three pounds of Six Flags outside of him but rather the three pounds of flags is what it is because Tozan is who he is this is the one of the many radical discoveries of of physics is that nothing not from a feminine a lot feminine phenomenological point of view and that's just a fancy way of saying in terms of how things actually happen nothing in the universe can exist separate from it it's being witnessed once there's a witness that witness changes what is being witnessed extraordinary when we when we take in this truth in a sense it means that

we are an essential element in the universe

never never at the periphery who is at the center because everywhere is the center is Nicholas of Cuza see God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference is nowhere

little bit more from Shibayama here

my god find it what is go on to the commentary.

Old Tarzan attained the poison of a clam. He opened the two halves of the shell and explode expose The Lavon and tear stones, but though this may be so, tell me where do you see toes on was have to be careful with move on not take them at face value the paws in of a clam actually his Zen is is is really very rich it's a kind of this three pounds of Flex is like a doorway into things as pausing of a clam when when the clam opens we can see everything. So, Morgan is actually praising Tarzan for for telling it all to completely like the Buddha having an open first with the teachings hiding nothing giving it giving it everything to this answer then he he provides us with another another Hawk he says but though this may be so tell me where do you see Tosa and this is a kind of gold or a trick because toe zone can't be separated from mass again one one of the points of this con is to demonstrate well how do we see Tarzan in this moment

where do you see Tarzan?

Then we have verse three pounds of flex it is thrust forth the words are intimate, even more so is the mind whoever argues right and wrong is enslaved by right and wrong this comment by move on when he talks about being enslaved by right and wrong. You could you could say that he's he's behind this right and wrong or all the other kinds of dualisms that we get get stuck on success and failure birth and death gain and loss better and worse name name your particular bugbear it's it's because of these these black and white categories that we suffer often. Because we get we get, fix it fixed on them. And then we tell ourselves that we can only be happy if we're successful or that we must avoid loss is these become these polarized? fixations and yet, we were taught again and again to release our picking and choosing we have three affirming faith and minor thirds third ancestors in the great way is not difficult for those who do not pick and choose. Can we unhook ourselves from our preferences? Tozando the answer to what is border must again three pounds of flags embodies this this way out of

picking and choosing or clinging and are rejecting

Whoa goo in his commentaries on these, this con he he writes about this this ironies which was was is what brings us to ask such questions as what is Buddha?

What is Buddha? In other words, what is it that is free within me, especially in moments of conflict, ask, Am I free, if you are bound by your behavioral habits and fixations, then you should be you could be ashamed, you could approach the issue by saying to yourself, This is not me I got tricked again by my habit tendency, my pattern of behavior stop that is what is free in that what is what is it that is free in that moment. If you can do this, you will not fall into the trap of yet another conceptualization, the practice that I call spiritual substitution, and you substituting your freedom in each moment for bondage. What is Buddha must be examined amid suffering. When two people who once loved each other are now separating. When two people who who, though they hate each other or isn't tend to meet when you dislike yourself, or when thoughts are in conflict, when you even in your own mind. This case is one of those in your face confrontational ones, if you don't know what Buddha is, if you don't have the ability to tap into the source that really already gives you freedom in each moment, then three pounds of Flex is as good as answering any as any so he's he's getting down to the nitty gritty of what what this border might look like beyond the form of the three pounds of flex and when you you work on this koan, you need to go beyond you need to see see what is the essence of this three pounds of flex see beyond the form

how else could this be answered? What is Buddha

should be Yama gives a wonderful quote by a most master chord master toe in

which really some sums up the the the spirit of this koan. He writes just this three pounds of flex, just this live three pounds, just this did three pounds, just this adverse three pounds, just this favorable three pounds, wherever you may go, it is the same amount. How vast is this three pounds? How remote is the three pounds? Even Buddhas and ancestors betta retreat to say the nothing sector say nothing of devils

to be able to work with the adverse conditions to not be intoxicated by favorable conditions to experience failure and loss to recognize and live with our mistakes omissions commissions

tonight to not be swayed. To be able to to experience difficulties without being thrown by them be able to listen to constant to criticism and hear it in a in a balanced kind of way

to know and recognize when we're picking and choosing and when we're engaged in other behaviors which are pain producing what is border mass again, three pounds of flags three pounds of flex without any stories

we'll stop here and recite the four vows

all beings without number

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