841Uif

72 f YASUTANI ' s coMMENTARY ON Muline of Patriarchs. Indeed, he can, standing eyebrow to eyebrow,hear with the same ears and see with the same eyes.How marvelous ! Who would not want to pass throughthis barrier? For this you must concentrate day and night, questioningyourself through every one of your 360 bones and84,000 pores. Do not construe Mu as nothingness and do notconceive it in terms of existence or non-existence. [You mustreach the point where you feel] as though you had swalloweda red-hot iron ball that you cannot disgorge despite your everyeffort. When you have dissolved all delusion and ripened intopurity, after many years, so that inside and outside are as one,you will thoroughly relish your [sublime] state of mind, yet likea mute who has had a dream [will be unable to talk about it].Once you burst into enlightenment you will surprise the heavensand move the earth. As though having captured the sharp swordof General Kuan, 1 you will be able to slay the Buddha shouldyou meet him [and he obstruct you] and dispatch all Patriarchsyou encounter [should they hinder you]. Being free [frombondage to] birth-and-death, you will be able to move aboutthe Six Realms of Existence and the Four Modes of Birth in asamadhi of innocent delight.How, then, do you concentrate on Mu? Devote yourself toit energetically and wholeheartedly. If you continue thus withoutintermission, your mind, like a light flashed on in the dark,will suddenly become bright. Wonderful indeed !Mumon' s Verse:A dog, Buddha-nature !-This is the presentation of the whole, the absolute imperative!Once you begin to think "has" or "has not"Your [unity with] life will be lost.The protagonist of this koan is Joshu, a renowned Chinese Zenmaster. I think it would be better to refer to him as the PatriarchJoshu. Inasmuch as my commentary on today's koan will be quitelong, I shall omit telling you the facts ofJoshu's life. Suffice it to sayhe was, as you all know, a great patriarch of Zen. While there are1 See p. 81.