Master Misshi's White Rabbit

Banshō's commentary on the case

The teacher raised this story: Tōzan and Zen Master Master of Shenshan in Tanzhou were crossing water. Tōzan asked, “What about the matter of crossing water?” Misshi said, “Not wetting the feet.” Tōzan said, “At your advanced age, you make such a remark!” Misshi asked, “What about you?” Tōzan said, “The feet are not wet.” Within the teachings are the two gates of nature and cultivation. In the Tōzan line this is called “borrowing achievement to clarify rank.” Broadly, awakening by means of cultivation is going from the ordinary into the sacred: an unranked commoner is directly appointed chief minister. If one first awakens and afterward cultivates, one goes from the sacred into the ordinary: a family eminent for generations, originally honorable and wealthy. Though it drifts through ten thousand forms of decline, the structure of its bones remains.² Therefore it is said: the parable of the impoverished son clarifies this Way; the verse of presenting the jewel displays its net.⁴ All of you—do you want to see where these two venerable adepts saw from? Watch Tendō take both offenses under a single indictment. Mugwort and weeds crave rain and dew; pine and cypress withstand wind and frost. Only when the year turns cold do we know that pine and cypress are the last to wither. This is the meaning of remaining unchanged while following conditions, and the discussion of an eminent family fallen on hard times. A powerful great person is capable of taking responsibility for this matter. “Walking level through the clouded sky”: to leap once and enter directly into the Tathāgata's ground is already far too late. One hardly knows that the family eminent for generations was originally rich and honorable. The Analects says that Liuxia Hui served as a judge and was dismissed three times. Someone asked, “Can you not leave?” He said, “Serving people by the upright Way, where could I go and not be dismissed three times? Serving people by a crooked way, why need I leave the country of my parents?”⁵ Sima Xiangru's childhood name was Quanzi. He lost his parents while young and at nine herded pigs for another person. Hearing that Lin Xiangru had become a minister, he changed his own name to Xiangru, abandoned the pigs, and went to study. The owner of the pigs beat him with a staff. A teacher questioned him, recognized his worth, and lodged him in a grass hut outside the gate. For ten years the teacher gave him no books to read, then sent him away. Passing Ascending Immortal Bridge, Xiangru inscribed its pillar: “Unless I ride a four-horse carriage, I will not cross this bridge again.” Later he composed the “Rhapsody on Sir Vacuous.” General Yang Deyi, lodging in the palace at night, recited it. The emperor said, “I regret that I did not live at the same time as this man.” The general reported, “He is presently in Shu.” The emperor ordered that Xiangru be summoned. Riding a four-horse carriage, he crossed the bridge and was appointed palace attendant.⁶ Xiao He and Cao Can established the imperial achievement of Gaozu of Han. Chaofu and Xu You avoided Yao, washing an ear and watering an ox. The Laozi says, “Regard favor and disgrace as alarming”: receiving favor is alarming; losing it is alarming. The preceding four pairs and eight affairs each have one line belonging to old Misshi and one to Tōzan. How excellent is Guifeng's analogy: it is like a member of the imperial clan sinking into low and humble condition until habit becomes second nature. Later, encountering recommendation and elevation, the person recovers the original rank. Yet the three standards and six arts still have to be relearned and practiced; only through exerting effort does capacity become complete.² Even so, on Tendō's side this still falls into graded stages. Have you not heard it said: Regard favor and disgrace as alarming; trust yourself deeply. True feeling joins its traces and mingles with fishers and woodcutters.