Chapter 10 The Ninth Article: East, West, North, South, and North of Zhaozhou

The Ninth Article: East, West, North, South, and North of Zhaozhou Example: A monk asked Chan Master Zhaozhou Congchen: What is Zhaozhou?Shi Yun: The east gate, the west gate, the south gate, and the north gate. Zen's views on a matter or a thing are fundamentally different from what is taught in schools today, comparable to the way of singing Kunqu Opera and Pingju, which is fundamentally different from the way of singing in schools.Zen Buddhism has a new idea than Zhuangzi, and it is also different from Indian Buddhism.But Buddhism is still a burden to Zen.After all, the novels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties completely forgot the name of Zen, and did not say anything about Lao Zhuang, but expressed their thoughts on things, things, and people in the articles, and also expressed in the daily speeches of Wanmin, as well as architecture, In making utensils and clothes, this is excellent.But the theory should not be abandoned at this point.Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Confucianism has only been allowed to talk about theory, so it has become a problem.Now we want to clean up the thoughts of Confucianism, Lao Zhuang and Zen, in order to have a new idea for the times.

For example, this monk asked Zhaozhou's public case, which shows that Zen's questions and answers have their own unique realm, which is different from Confucianism and Laozhuang.Confucianism always answers every question. For example, Confucius answered all the questions of Duke Ai of Lu perfectly.This is of course necessary, otherwise we would have nothing certain.Lao Zhuang has another Lao Zhuang.Lao Zhuang asked questions but didn't know the answer, such as "Niao Que asked Wang Ni, asked four times but didn't know four times, and Niu Que was overjoyed because of his leap." And this is very good, because what is said here is the affirmation of all things. First of all, there are questions without answers, so questions are everything.And the origin of all things, there are questions but no answers, so the question is everything.And the origin of all things lies in the established and certain things.So every inch is creative, self-rebellious, and unknown.Laozhuang and Zhuangzi added an infinite landscape to the self-affirmation of Confucianism.And the Zen monks played tricks when Confucius answered and Wang Ni didn't answer.

Zen is: 1. Asking is answering, and answering is asking.2. The question is in the answer, and the answer is in the question. Two little children were playing in the vestibule, both of whom were just learning to speak, and a white rose had just bloomed in the corner. One child said, "Flower!" and laughed in amazement, and the other child also said, "" Flowers!" The two children looked at each other and laughed in amazement.That surprise should be a question, but laughing is an answer.But it's so good that people don't think there is an answer.This is the so-called question is the answer, the answer is the question.

And the monk asked what is Zhaozhou's public case, which taught you that the question is in the answer, and the answer is in the question.If someone reads it, it would be good to explain that the monk's questions are mysterious and the state's answers are realistic, but this kind of explanation can be applied to many koans, and it does not show the uniqueness of this koan.Or it may be said: Zhaozhou's answer "East Gate, West Gate, South Gate, North Gate" means that Buddhism extends in all directions, which is a stereotype of words.This koan is not to teach you the answer, but to teach you how to answer.The phrase "east gate, west gate, south gate, north gate" can be said to have answered everything about what Zhaozhou is, but it has not answered it all.It turns out that all good shapes are like this.

In the original text, there is also "Monk said: A did not ask this Zhaozhou. Zhou said: Which Zhaozhou did you ask?" I also have this experience when I write articles.Every time I write an article, I seem to be in a desperate place. With a state of mind that is not competitive with others, I write simple sentences with endless meaning, but that’s all, I think this is good. So to ask is to answer, and to answer is to ask, which is the acme of discovery.For example, if a physicist wants to ask why the nucleon has these phenomena, it is just like this. Your question is the answer, but the answer is still a big question. You can only laugh like two little children in amazement.But the questions in this principle are in the answers, and the answers in the questions are the ultimate form.Zen Master Xuefeng sang:

In the sentence, there is an opportunity to face each other, to sparkle Jialuo's eyes are free from dust The east, west, south, north gates are relatively invincible with infinite wheel hammers All good shapes contain a big secret, which cannot be opened in the end.However, the answer is in the question again, Zhaozhou's four-door carriages, horses and pedestrians enter and exit, and they open!open also!