Seppō's Snake

Banshō's commentary on the case

Though the turtle-nose of South Mountain was a dead snake, one who knows how to handle it before Elephant-Bone Crag makes it live. Seppō raised it to instruct the assembly, originally wanting to use poison to remove poison. Changqing knew only how to push the boat with the current: “Today in the hall many people will lose body and life.” Had he known how to hold the helm against the wind, Seppō would have had to enter the nirvana hall. Hearing the story, Gensha said, “Only my brother Leng could have done it.” There is a slight error here. If you say Gensha approved Changqing, why did he then say, “I would not act like that”? He not only knew how to push with the current but also to hold the helm against the wind. Disregarding danger, the monk immediately asked, “What would you do, Abbot?” Gensha merely said, “What use is South Mountain?” Here one sees the hand that plays with a living snake. Unmon immediately thrust his staff and made a frightened gesture. His use was most intimate. In the verse on Ungan sweeping the ground, Tendō previously raised: “The snake-handler before Elephant-Bone Crag—what he did as a child, in old age he knows to be shameful.” Because Unmon said, “A male slave sees a maidservant being attentive,” Tendō mounted the thief's horse to pursue the thief. Those were certainly rough hands and feet. Today he again versifies the snake-handling story and boasts of the hand that seizes dragons. Look at him: after chopping with the great axe, he rubs the wound with his hand. Gensha sent a special messenger hurrying with a letter up to Seppō. Seppō opened it and found three sheets of blank paper. He showed them to the monk and asked, “Do you understand?” The monk said, “I do not.” Seppō said, “Have you not heard that a noble person shares one wind across a thousand miles?” The monk returned and related this to Gensha. Gensha said, “The old abbot on the mountain has missed it and does not know.”³ Gensha succeeded Seppō. Ordinarily he testified that his father stole a sheep; when benevolence was at stake, he did not yield. Saying “What use is South Mountain?” was again resolute and unmatched—hardness taken too far. Changqing followed what was crooked and immediately said many would lose body and life. He did not know the lion's backward throw. This truly was seeing what is right and failing to act: lack of courage. “When wind and cloud meet, horns emerge. Indeed one sees Shaoyang put down his hand and play.” This versifies Unmon bringing out one living snake face to face, unlike the other masters' bow-reflection appearing in a cup.⁴ As for “able to dismiss and summon,” a popular proverb says, “Calling a snake is easy; sending it away is hard.” “Able to capture and release” versifies Unmon first thrusting the staff before Seppō and then making a frightened gesture. One capable of capture and release must understand dismissal and summoning. At the end Tendō says, “To whom is this affair entrusted now? His cold mouth wounds people without knowing pain.” Only when one claps a verse back to oneself and brings it before one's own face is one an adept. Setchō also said, “Now it is hidden before Milk Peak; each person who comes must look for an expedient.” Banshō shouted loudly, “Watch beneath your feet!” Banshō says: Setchō was so intent on watching beneath his feet that he did not know it had passed through his skull. Tendō wounds people with a cold mouth. A clear person does not conduct affairs in darkness. Had I been Unmon at the time, I would have thrust the staff into Seppō's breast. If he failed to respond, I would afterward make him reap what he had done and personally receive one bite. Why so? Today is the second day of the second month: for a while, let the dragon raise its head.⁵