Baso's Wild Ducks

Engo's commentary on the case

Viewed with the true eye, Hyakujō possesses the proper cause, while Master Baso makes waves where there is no wind. If all of you wish to serve as teachers of buddhas and ancestors, study Hyakujō. If you wish to be unable even to save yourselves, study Master Baso. See how the ancients, throughout the twelve double-hours, were never absent from this. Hyakujō left household life in youth and trained comprehensively in the three disciplines. When Daji—Baso—spread his teaching in Nanchang, Hyakujō devoted himself to him and served as attendant for twenty years. When he studied again, only beneath a shout did he finally awaken greatly. Some people now say, “Originally there is no place of awakening; establishing a gate of awakening constructs the matter.” Such an understanding is like worms in a lion's body eating the lion's own flesh. Have you not heard an ancient say, “A source not deep has no long stream; wisdom not great has no distant vision”? If this were merely an artificial establishment, how could the Buddha Dharma have reached the present? Baso and Hyakujō are walking and see wild ducks fly past. Did Baso not know they were wild ducks? Why did he ask this way? Where does his intent land? Hyakujō simply runs along behind him. Baso twists his nose. Hyakujō cries in pain. Baso says, “When did they ever fly away?” Hyakujō then became aware. Some people today misunderstand. As soon as they are questioned, they make a cry of pain. Happily, they cannot leap free. When a lineage teacher helps people, the instruction must be thorough. Seeing that Hyakujō did not understand, Baso could not avoid injuring edge and hand. He intended only to clarify this matter for him. Thus it is said, “Understand, and it functions along the road. Do not understand, and it circulates as conventional truth.” Had Baso not seized him then, it would have become only conventional circulation. One must meet circumstances and encounter conditions, turning flexibly so they return to oneself. Through all twelve hours there is no vacant interval; this is called the ground of nature becoming clear. Merely relying on grass and attaching to trees, recognizing something before a donkey or behind a horse—what use is that? See Baso and Hyakujō function this way. Though it appears luminously aware, they do not abide in luminous awareness. Hyakujō cries in pain. See it this way, and nowhere in the whole world is it hidden; every matter fully appears. Thus it is said, “Penetrate one place, and a thousand and ten thousand places penetrate at once.” The next day Baso ascended the hall. As the community assembled, Hyakujō came forward and rolled up the bowing mat. Baso immediately descended from the seat. Returning to his quarters, Baso asked, “Just now I ascended the hall but had not yet spoken Dharma. Why did you roll up the mat?” Hyakujō said, “Yesterday you twisted my nose and it hurt.” Baso asked, “Where did you place your attention yesterday?” Hyakujō said, “Today my nose no longer hurts.” Baso said, “You deeply know today's affair.” Hyakujō bowed and returned to the attendants' quarters, where he wept. A fellow attendant asked why. Hyakujō said, “Go ask the Master.” The attendant asked Baso. Baso said, “Go ask him and see.” The attendant returned and asked Hyakujō. Hyakujō instead laughed aloud. The attendant said, “A moment ago you were crying. Why do you laugh now?” Hyakujō said, “A moment ago I cried. Now I laugh.”² See how, after awakening, he turns smoothly like a wheel. Nets and cages cannot hold him; naturally he is clear and exquisite. Setchō's verse says: Setchō begins head-on: “Wild ducks—who knows where?” Tell me: how many are there? “Baso sees them come and speaks together with Hyakujō.” This versifies Baso asking, “What are they?” and Hyakujō replying, “Wild ducks.” “Their conversation exhausts the feeling of mountain clouds and the moon over the sea.” This versifies Baso asking Hyakujō again, “Where have they gone?” Master Baso's intent naturally emerges through the whole body. As before, Hyakujō does not understand and instead says, “They flew past”—missing twice. “Just as they would fly—Baso seized and held.” Setchō settles the case according to the confession. Then he says, “Say! Say!” This is Setchō's place to turn the body. Tell me: how do you say it? Make a cry of pain and you are wrong. Do not make a cry of pain—then how do you understand? Although Setchō's verse is exceedingly fine, what can be done when he too cannot leap free?³