Jōshū's Dog

Banshō's commentary on the case

If you say the dog's buddha-nature genuinely exists, later Jōshū instead says it does not. If it genuinely does not exist, earlier he instead says it does. If you say that speaking “has” and speaking “does not have” were only temporary responses to the occasion, when pressed to speak he gave a rationale for each. Thus it is said: a clear-eyed person has no nest or mold. This monk's question sought to broaden knowledge and hearing; it did not accord with the fundamental matter. Jōshū said “has,” using poison to remove poison and illness to treat illness. The monk then asked, “Since it has, why did it crash into this skin-bag?” He did not know that he himself had already been reborn inside the dog's belly. Jōshū said, “Because it knows, yet deliberately violates it.” One hammer met two situations; such swift facility is hard to encounter. The monk thought Jōshū judged the result according to its cause. If you understand it that way, you are not yet fit even to be a lecturer's servant. Later another monk asked again, and Jōshū instead said “does not.” A person who has attained it has a road to emerge when saying “has” and a road to emerge when saying “does not.”¹ This monk followed the text and checked the original: “All sentient beings have buddha-nature. Why, then, does a dog not have it?” With a press like this, I dare say even a hand that wrenches heaven's gate has no road to turn around. Jōshū gently said, “Because it has karmic consciousness.” Tell me: is there still blood beneath this monk's skin? Tendō cannot avoid placing another burning cone of moxa on the scar in living flesh. “The dog's buddha-nature: it has. The dog's buddha-nature: it does not.” The two sections differ, yet Tendō raises them together. It is exactly as Setchō said: “One has many kinds; two have no duality.” Tendō wanted to meet Jōshū, and therefore versified it this way. Yingtianzhen said, “A straight hook catches a fierce dragon; a curved hook catches frogs.” Later people follow breath and search scent like hunting dogs, noisily making distinctions. What juice is there in a dry bone? Though Jōshū opened his shop and spread his wares widely, still he only laid the matter out flat for discussion. Tendō freed his wrist from Jōshū: “Do not blame our house for failing to take care at the start.” Guizong asked a scholar, “Which classics and histories do you study?” The scholar said, “I understand twenty-four styles of calligraphy.” Guizong made one dot in the air and asked, “Do you understand?” The scholar said, “I do not.” Guizong said, “And you claim to understand twenty-four styles of calligraphy! You do not even know the eight methods of the character yong.” Prefect Li Bo asked, “I do not ask about the three vehicles and twelve divisions of the teaching. What is the meaning of the ancestor's coming from the West?” Guizong raised his fist and asked, “Do you understand?” Li said, “I do not.” Guizong said, “You bookish fellow—you do not even recognize a fist.” Banshō says: everyone, look at the lion turning over. It is not only saying “has” and “does not have” of the dog's buddha-nature. “Knowingly violates” and “has karmic consciousness” also look carefully ahead and behind, guarding beginning and end. According to the Records of the Historian, King Hui of Zhao obtained the Heshi jade disk of Chu. King Zhaoxiang of Qin offered fifteen cities for it. Lin Xiangru carried the disk into Qin. The king happily passed it among his women and attendants, who all cried “Ten thousand years!” Seeing that the king had no intention of ceding the cities, Lin stepped forward: “The disk has a flaw; allow me to show it.” When the king handed it over, Lin took it, stood against a pillar, and was so enraged his hair lifted his cap. He said, “The king of Zhao fasted for five days before sending this minister to offer the disk and letter at court, honoring the majesty of your great state. Now Your Majesty's manners are arrogant. You passed the disk among your women as though mocking me and show no intention of ceding the cities. Therefore I took it back. If you press me, my head and the jade will shatter together against this pillar.” The king apologized, indicated the cities on a map, and agreed to fast five days. Lin Xiangru sent an attendant in coarse clothes to carry the jade by a direct route back to Zhao.³ Jōshū first released and then took away, possessing Lin Xiangru's method. Tendō elsewhere versified: Jōshū said “has”; Jōshū said “does not.” The dog's buddha-nature—everyone under heaven distinguishes it. A red face does not equal direct speech; a true heart certainly speaks roughly. An old Zen master of seven hundred sexagenary cycles exchanges donkey dung for people's eyeballs. Jōshū's heart was true and his speech direct: this is the straight hook that originally seeks the fish forfeiting its life. When King Wen of Zhou went hunting, he saw Jiang Ziya fishing in the Panxi valley three feet from the water with a straight hook. The king found this strange and asked, “How can a straight hook catch fish?” Ziya said, “I seek only the fish that forfeits its life.”⁴ “Exchanges donkey dung for people's eyeballs”: this resembles Lin Xiangru taking back the jade. Fojian held up a soapberry rosary and said, “Do you all see it?” After a long pause he said, “This is what this old monk obtained in exchange when he came to the capital. Each of you return to the hall and feel around for yourselves.” Fojian used soapberries; Jōshū used donkey dung. Since Banshō has nothing useful, he has never exchanged anything. If all of you can trust this completely, your eyes remain, as before, beneath your eyebrows.⁵