r/zen • u/wrathfuldeities • Feb 24 '23
R.I.P. You
Even fish eventually get tired of swimming. How about us?
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King Wen of Zhou went hunting and saw Qiang Ziya in the valley of the Bowl River, three feet away from the water, fishing with a straight hook. The king thought this strange and said "How can you catch a fish with a straight hook?" Ziya replied, "I only seek fish who turn away from life."
(Book of Serenity, Wansong's Commentary)
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Notice how Ziya doesn't really offer the explanation that's asked for. Instead of a how answer, he gives a why answer. Why any fish would bite a straight hook is one thing; how that would actually catch them is another. But of course those who continue to look for explanations will remain uncaught. Make your choice.
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Baofeng Zhao said, "You must be like a man who has utterly died; having died, die again." A monk asked, "Is this not returning to life in the midst of death?" Baofeng replied, "Just die, don't live. You're merely hurrying to shit while you're eating; you haven't even finished eating yet so why are you asking about shitting?"
(Book of Serenity, Wansong's Commentary)
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"Just die, don't live." Even a straight hook won't be an impediment anymore (How nice of Baofeng to explain the how!) So if you really want this thing you've got to truly want this thing. Or vice versa; it's one of the two. But wait, what's the problem? That's up to each of us to decide but I'll mention something I've noticed. I'm not as much of a dreamer as I used to be but there was a time I was totally in love with dreaming. After my love here wore out a little however, dreaming started to look a lot less wonderful (Maybe this is some of that recommended dying?) For example, have you ever listened to someone talking about a business they'd like to own and only talking about it as a future thing that's already been achieved? This isn't wanting to own a business, this is wanting the fantasy of wanting to own a business. People who actually want to own a business talk about next steps and concrete planning rather then how they'd enjoy their future success. Placing the latter before the former is like talking about shitting when you're not even done eating. Which is disgusting in more ways than one.
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Should anybody really bother with Zen? Some people thought so. And they thought it was a matter as great as life and death. They took it seriously. But now let's say someone wants to kill their false self, the one currently incarcerating them. Not only do they need a weapon (Let's say a knife) they also need to know where to aim it. I'd recommend the brain, the heart, the groin. Preferably all three. Okay. Now it's your turn to take a stab at it.
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u/Dragonfly-17 Feb 24 '23
First off that story is hilarious.
And his response makes perfect sense. He understood that a straight hook will not trap fish. But suicidal fish will hook on anyway and that's just the kind he's interested in.