Beiko Asks About Awakening

Banshō's commentary on the case

Zen Master Mi of the capital was called both Master Mi the Seventh and Beiko. He was the seventh child in his lay household and had a fine beard, hence the two names. Some lineage material calls him “Jewel of the Eight Directions” and a successor of Seppō; the present account, treating him as Kyōzan's fellow student, makes him a successor of Isan.³ A monk once asked him, “Did the earlier worthies from ancient times reach true principle?” Beiko said, “They reached it.” The monk asked, “How is true principle reached?” This did not differ from the present occasion of relying on awakening. Beiko said, “At that time Huo Guang sold a false silver city and made a treaty document with the Chanyu. Who did it?”⁴ Foguo called Beiko a great spiritual friend whose reputation was not empty. The monk said, “I am left with my mouth shut and no words.” Beiko said, “On level ground you make someone provide a guarantee.” Beiko says “reached”; Kyōzan says, “Awakening is certainly not absent, but what can be done about falling into the second head?” Yet if one does not rely on awakening, it is also said, “Only when a person personally assents is it intimate.” Reverend Shengmo often said that Touzi's comments on old cases were inwardly refined, deft, and unsurpassed. Touzi once commented on this story: “Kyōzan's speaking this way is acceptable. But did he avoid falling himself? If he avoided it, there is still one person who greatly disapproves. If he did not avoid it, he too falls into the second head. “Though Beiko approved him, did Beiko himself have a road by which to get his body out?” All of you, try inspecting and testing them. If you can expose it, both men dissolve like tiles and melt like ice. If you cannot, do not act rashly. Touzi's verse says: At the green peak's summit, borrow a person to ask; pointing where the mountain ends, still he has not settled. Though he escapes the Double Ninth command, how can that equal a numinous sprout that does not offend spring? Banshō says: Without the spring wind the flower does not open; when the flower finally opens, the wind blows it down. National Teacher Zhong asked court scholar Zilin, “What does ‘Buddha’ mean?” Zilin said, “It means awakening.” The National Teacher asked, “Was Buddha ever deluded?” Zilin said, “He was never deluded.” The National Teacher asked, “Then what use is awakening?” Zilin had no reply. This too expresses the intent that fundamentally there is neither delusion nor awakening. I have always loved Setchō's saying: Those fundamentally without delusion or awakening number like hemp; Lingyun alone is allowed to be an adept.⁵ Awakening falls into the second head, yet without awakening one must still personally assent. What is right? Tendō has his own expedient. “The second head distinguishes awakening and breaks delusion.” Brightness comes and darkness recedes; wisdom arises and confusion perishes. All are affairs along the road. The Brief Examples from the Book of Changes says: “A rabbit snare exists for the rabbit; once the rabbit is obtained, forget the snare. A fish trap exists for the fish; once the fish is obtained, forget the trap. Thus words are snares for images, and images are traps for intent. One who preserves the words has not obtained the image; one who preserves the image has not obtained the intent.” If, from the second head, one speaks as though Kyōzan lacked awakening, one cannot reach him even once. Yet it is said, “Even if there is wondrous awakening, it too must be spat out.” Quickly let go. Upon reaching home there is not one thing more. Only then forget the snare and discard the trap.² Effort and discriminating knowledge all belong to the second head. Only when effort is exhausted and the matter cannot be known by wisdom does one begin to correspond in some small measure. The eighth chapter, “Webbed Toes,” in the outer chapters of the Zhuangzi says: “Webbing on the foot joins useless flesh; a branch on the hand grows a useless finger.” The commentary explains that a webbed big toe joins the second toe and a branched finger is a sixth finger. If achievement is not exhausted, it resembles webbed toes joining useless flesh.⁶ The Spring and Autumn says that King Wen of Chu, going to attack Shen, passed through Deng. Marquis Qi of Deng said, “He is my sister's son,” detained him, and feasted him. The three nephews Zhui, Dan, and Yang asked permission to kill the ruler of Chu. The Marquis of Deng refused. The three said, “The one who destroys the state of Deng will certainly be this man. If you do not plan early, later you will bite your navel.” The commentary says this means it will be too late.⁷ Where wisdom does not reach, wisdom cannot know. The old rabbit is the full moon. Reverend Chun of Danxia said, “Water clear, moon full—the person of the Way sorrows.” “On the ice disk, autumn dew weeps”: clinging to it will not do. The Classic of the Great Wilds says that on Kunlun Hill stands a langgan jade tree bearing fruit like small pearls. The Inscription of the Mysterious Center says, “The numinous tree stands distant; the phoenix has no reliance, and the crane does not stop its mechanism.” Neither permits guarding, clinging, or sitting fixed. The bird is cold and grieves because it does not wish to settle on those roots, trunk, branches, or leaves. The “Yi” ode says, “A stain on white jade can still be polished.” An inner defect in jade is called a flaw, a break in its substance. An outer defect is called a stain, a soiling of its color. This verse prizes Kyōzan as white jade without stain, not falling into the second head. What is the first head? Only after great awakening does one know it is not it.