Sanshō's Golden-Scaled Fish

Banshō's commentary on the case

In recent times Reverend Liao of Changlu, a fellow student of Tendō, led a community of seventeen hundred. Together with Zhugan Gui he opened the congee hall for the summer retreat, divided the quarters, and received students in private instruction. Seppō and Sanshō, in different ages, shared the same style. Dawei Zhe said, “Sanshō may be called one long accustomed to being a guest at Dragon Gate ten thousand fathoms high. Seppō greatly resembles Lord Mengchang with his gate open—why should he fear an eminent guest?”³ Sanshō set down his question. He did not hesitate to lift a pot of glue from within a thorn forest. Seppō was already thirty paces away, watching Sanshō stick and entangle himself: “Wait until you emerge from the net; then I will tell you.” Extraordinary! It was just like a master chess player who, on making a move, sees several moves ahead. Sanshō saw that this round did not distinguish victory and defeat, so he took another road: “A teacher of fifteen hundred people, yet you do not even recognize the topic.” Using the claws and fangs of the Dharma cave, he captured his opponent alive. Seppō, easy and deliberate, only said, “This old monk's abbatial affairs are many.” Hofuku said, “Contending, he falls short; yielding, he has abundance.” Setchō said, “A pity he let him go. He should be given thirty blows.” Not even one of these blows can be weighed and compared. Genuine adepts are exceedingly rare. These two old men, one releasing and one seizing, each had a road by which to emerge.² When Reverend Ding of Gaoyou was asked, “What does the golden-scaled fish that has passed through the net feed upon?” he said, “A dry shit-stick.” When my late teacher Xueyan heard this, he said, “Thank you for the offering.” This Dharma joy and Zen delight do not fall short of the ancients. What about Tendō's own share? Dragon Gate Mountain in Jiangzhou was, tradition says, cut open by Yu and is therefore also called Yu Gate. It has three levels. The Water Classic says sturgeon and tuna emerge from the caves at Gong. In the third month they ascend and cross Dragon Gate. Those that pass become dragons; those that fail are marked on the forehead and return. “The wave-level first rises” refers to the three levels of waves.⁴ The Commentary on the Words of the Book of Changes says, “Clouds follow the dragon; wind follows the tiger.” Cloud and thunder send the fish onward and make it a dragon. The two great beings leap with imposing edges. Sanshō is like the wave-level first rising; Seppō, like cloud and thunder sending it on. Once Sanshō has passed Yu Gate, would Seppō consent to be soaked in a pickle jar? When Rinzai sent Rakuho away, he said, “In Rinzai's gate there is a red-tailed carp. Shaking its head and waving its tail, it goes south. In whose household pickle jar will it be soaked to death?” The latter part of the verse directly versifies Seppō's “This old monk's abbatial affairs are many,” while also including Sanshō's two questions: “The mature person does not startle the crowd; accustomed to facing a great enemy, from the first he has no fear.” The chronicle of Emperor Guangwu says the forces of Wang Xun and Wang Yi, said to number a million, advanced and surrounded Kunyang. Guangwu personally led the vanguard and killed several dozen people. His generals rejoiced and said, “General Liu ordinarily sees a small enemy and is afraid; today he sees a great enemy and is brave. This is exceedingly strange.”⁵ At first glance Seppō does not seem to weigh even five ounces. Examine carefully, and on a thousand-jin scale he cannot be moved. Later, from beneath Seppō's gate emerged the Unmon and Hōgen lines. Is this not a deep source and long flow? Gain and decline, disgrace and honor, praise and blame, pain and pleasure are the eight winds. For a teacher grounded in his own portion, they pass like wind beside the ear. Reverend Xing of Tanzhe said to Reverend Yi of Qingshou, “Suppose I call you an old father. Then what?”