Unmon Spreads His Hands

Engo's commentary on the case

Unmon asks this monk, “Where have you recently come from?” “Xichan.” This is speech directly before the face, like a flash of lightning. Unmon asks, “What sayings have there been recently?” This too is only ordinary conversation. The monk is undeniably an adept. Instead, he turns around and tests Unmon, immediately spreading both hands. An ordinary person meeting this test would reveal hands and feet in confusion. Unmon has the mechanism of fire struck from stone and a flash of lightning. He immediately strikes once. The monk says, “The blow is indeed a blow, but I still have something to say.” This monk has a place to turn the body. Unmon therefore opens and spreads both hands in return. The monk has no words, and Unmon immediately strikes. See how Unmon is naturally an adept. Taking one step, he knows where that step lands. He knows how to look ahead and also how to attend behind, never losing the track. The monk knows only how to look ahead; he cannot attend behind. The verse says: Setchō's verse of this saying is extremely easy to understand. Its main intent is simply to versify Unmon's responsive edge. Therefore he says, “Tiger's head and tiger's tail gathered at once.” An ancient said, “Seize the tiger's head and gather its tail; beneath the first phrase, clarify the lineage intent.” Setchō settles the case according to the confession. He admires Unmon for knowing how to seize the tiger's head and also gather the tiger's tail. The monk spreads both hands and Unmon strikes: this seizes the tiger's head. Unmon spreads both hands, the monk has no words, and Unmon strikes again: this gathers the tiger's tail. Head and tail gathered together, eyes like shooting stars—naturally like fire struck from stone or a flash of lightning. His stern imposing wind fills the four hundred prefectures; throughout the whole earth and world, wind blows briskly. “Yet I ask: do you not know how perilous it is?” There is undeniably a perilous place. Setchō says, “Let one move pass.” Tell me: if right now it is not let pass, what then? Everyone throughout the great earth must receive a blow. Meditation monks today all say, “When Unmon spread his hands, the monk should have given him the provisions proper to his original share.” It resembles the case, but is not yet it. Unmon could not simply let you rest this way. There must be another matter.²