I have only copied particular parts…
91 – The Yin-Yang masters do not concern themselves with those days of the calendar marked ‘Red Tongue Days’. Nor did people of old treat the day as unpropitious. It seems someone more recently has declared it unlucky, and now everyone has begun to avoid it, believing that things undertaken on this day will miscarry. This idea – that whatever is said or done on this day will fail, that objects gained on the day will be lost and plans made will go awry – is ridiculous. If you count the number of failures that happen on an auspicious day, you will find there are just as many.
This is because, in this transient phenomenal world with its constant change, what appears to exist in fact does not. What is begun has no end. Aims go unfulfilled, yet desire is endless. The human heart changes ceaselessly. All things are passing illusion. What is there that remains unchanging? The folly of such beliefs springs from people’s inability to understand this. It is said that evil performed on an auspicious day is always ill-fated, while good performed on an inauspicious one will be blessed by good fortune. It is people who create good fortune and misfortune, not the calendar.
92 – A man who was studying archery took two arrows in his hand and stood before the target. ‘A beginner should not hold two arrows,’ his teacher told him. ‘You will be careless with the first, knowing you have a second. You must always be determined to hit the target with the single arrow you shoot, and have no thought beyond this.’ With only two arrows, and standing before his master, would he really be inclined to be lapdash with one of them? Yet although he may not have been aware of his own carelessness, his teacher was.
The same injunction surely applies in all matters. A man engaged in Buddhist practice will tell himself at night that there is always the morning, or in the morning will anticipate the night, always intending to make more effort later. And if such are your days, how much less aware must you be of the passing moment’s indolence. Why should it be so difficult to carry something out right now when you think of it, to seize the instant?
93 – Someone told the following tale. A man sells an ox. The buyer says he will come in the morning to pay and take the beast. But during the night, the ox dies. ‘The buyer thus gained, while the seller lost,’ he concluded. But a bystander remarked, ‘The owner did indeed lose on the transaction, but he profited greatly in another way. Let me tell you why. Living creatures have no knowledge of the nearness of death. Such was the ox, and such too are we humans. As it happened, the ox died that night; as it happened, the owner lived on. One day’s life is more precious than a fortune’s worth of money, while an ox’s worth weighs no more than a goose feather. One cannot say that a man who gains a fortune while losing a coin or two has made a loss.’
Everyone laughed at this. ‘That reasoning doesn’t only apply to the owner of the ox,’ they scoffed. The man went on. ‘Well then, if people hate death they should love life. Should we not relish each day the joy of survival? Fools forget this – they go striving after other enjoyments, cease to appreciate the fortune they have and risk all to lay their hands on fresh wealth. Their desires are never sated. There is a deep contradiction in failing to enjoy life and yet fearing death when faced with it. It is because they have no fear of death that people fail to enjoy life – no, not that they don’t fear it, but rather they forget its nearness. Of course, it must be said that the ultimate gain lies in transcending the relative world with its distinction between life and death.’ At this, everyone jeered more than ever.
106 – Shōkū, a holy man from the great monastery on Mount Kōya, was on his way to the capital one day when, on a narrow path, he met coming the other way a horse ridden by a woman and led by a servant. The man tugged the horse past him so clumsily that Shōkū and his horse were pushed into the ditch.
Incensed, Shōkū berated the fellow. ‘What extraordinary rudeness! I’ll have you know that of the four categories of the Buddha’s followers the nun is below the monk, the novice below the nun and the novice nun below the novice monk. It’s an unheard-of violation for a novice nun to push a monk into a ditch!’
‘What are you talking about? I can’t understand a word you’re saying,’ the fellow replied.
Shōkū gasped with rage. ‘How dare you, you irreligious ignoramus!’ he spat, then, obviously satisfied that he had thoroughly had his say, he turned his horse and beat a retreat the way he had come. A most pious altercation!
108 – No one begrudges the passing moment. Is this because they are wise, or because they are fools? To the lazy fools among them I would say: a single coin may be next to worthless, but it is through their accumulation that the poor
man becomes rich. This is why the merchant is so keen to save every coin he can. You may not be aware of the moments, but as long as they continue to pass, you will very soon find yourself at the end of life.Thus, one dedicated to the Way must not concern himself over the distant future. His only care should be not to let the present moment slip vainly through his fingers. Imagine someone comes to you and announces that you will die tomorrow. How will you spend your last day? What entertainment could you find? How would you busy yourself? And how is this day we are now living different from that final day? We inevitably waste most of each day in eating and drinking, defecating, sleeping, talking and walking about. For the tiny remainder of our time, we do worthless things, speak worthless words, think worthless thoughts. And not only do we pass the moments in this way, but whole days, whole months pass thus – a lifetime. This is supreme folly.
Xie Lingyun was recorder of the translation of The Lotus Sutra, but he was taken up with thoughts of his own advancement, so Hui Yuan refused to include him in his pious Bailian group.
Lose for a moment your grasp of the passing instant and you are as good as dead. You ask why time should be so precious? It is so that you may concentrate the mind on banishing all idle thoughts, refrain from engaging in worldly matters and meditate if this is what you choose, or perform austerities if that is your chosen path.
150 – People who are learning an art generally claim that it is best not to inadvertently let others know about your attempts until you are accomplished. The way to really impress is to polish your craft in secret before making it public. But someone who says such things will never acquire any art. A person who mingles with skilled practitioners while he himself is still inexpert, and isn’t ashamed of their ridicule and laughter but calmly and devotedly perseveres in his practice even if he has no special gift, will continue to progress and not grow lax with the passing years, and will finally outdo the man of talent who lacks dedication. He will attain mastery in his art, continue to increase his skill and gain an unequalled reputation in his field. Some truly great practitioners were reviled for their lack of skill when they first began, and indeed had dreadful faults. But in every art we find the same thing – such a man has maintained a deep respect for the rules of his art, and not indulged his own whims, with the result that he has become a renowned master who draws crowds of disciples to his door.
166 – The way people struggle to get along in the world strikes me as like fashioning a buddha from snow on a spring day, decking it out with precious metals and jewels, then setting out to build a worship hall for it. Would it survive long enough to be placed in the finished hall? So many strive in hopes of the future, even as the life still in them is daily dissolving away like snow from
beneath the snowman.187 – A professional in any field will always be superior to a skillful amateur, even if he is not truly accomplished. This is because freedom and impulse cannot equal meticulous care and prudence. This is so not just of the arts and professions, but of all actions and questions of judgement – a careful fool is on the road to success; one who is skilful but headstrong is headed for failure.
Nothing in this world can be trusted. Fools put all their faith in things, and so become angry and bitter. The powerful should place no faith in their powerful position. The strong are the first to go. The rich should never depend on their wealth. A fortune can easily disappear from one moment to the next. A scholar should never be complacent about his skills. Even Confucius did not meet with the reception he deserved. The virtuous should not rely on their virtue. Even the exemplary Yan Hui met with misfortune. Nor should those favoured by the emperor be smug. You may at any time find yourself instead faced with execution for some crime. Never rely on your servants to be loyal. They can rebel and flee. Never put your faith in others’ goodwill. They will inevitably change their minds. Never depend on a promise made. People seldom keep their word.
If you rely neither on yourself nor on others, you will rejoice when things go well, and not be aggrieved when they don’t. Maintain a clear space on either side, and nothing will obstruct you; keep open before and behind you, and you will be unimpeded. If you let yourself be hemmed in, you can be squeezed to breaking point. Without care and flexibility in your dealings with the world, you will find yourself in conflict and be damaged, while if you live calmly and serenely, not a hair on your head will come to harm. Humans are the most miraculous and exalted of all things in heaven and earth. And heaven and earth are boundless. How, then, could we differ in essence? If our spirit is open and boundless, neither fear nor joy will obstruct it, and we will remain untroubled by the world.
217 – Here is what a very rich man once said to me: ‘People should put all other things aside and devote themselves single-mindedly to acquiring wealth. There is no point in living if you’re poor. Only the rich are worthy of the name “human.” ‘To gain wealth, you should first cultivate the right spirit. And what spirit might that be? Why, the firm belief that the human world is immutable, and never so much as a moment’s pause to consider impermanence. This is the most important thing. ‘Next, you must not attend to life’s various demands. In this world of ours, there is no end to our own and others’ wants. If you follow your desires in what you set out to attain, all your money will be gone before you know it, no matter how much you may have.
Desire is limitless, while money is finite. You cannot use limited resources to fulfil unlimited craving. You must be immensely wary of indulging even the smallest urge, and treat any desire that might rear its head as a wicked impulse that is bound to ruin you. ‘Next, be aware that if you treat your money like a mere servant, you will very soon find yourself in dire straits. You must venerate it like a revered master, worship it like a god and never bend it to your will.
Next, avoid anger and bitterness if you meet with embarrassments in life. Next, always be honest, and honour all promises. For those who follow these rules in seeking wealth, riches will come as inevitably as fire catches dried wood or water flows downhill. Once you have stockpiled unlimited wealth, your desires – for banqueting, music, beautiful women, a finely appointed house – may go unmet, but you will always feel fulfilled and at peace,’ he said.
People do indeed seek wealth in order to fulfil their desires. Money is seen as riches because it allows one to gain what one covets. Someone who has desire but does not fulfil it, who has money but does not use it, is essentially no different from a poor man. What might such a person find pleasure in?
This man’s teaching can be seen as an admonishment to relinquish worldly desires and not lament poverty. Far better, surely, not to have wealth than to find your pleasure in attaining your desires. Far better to avoid contracting boils and pustules in the first place than to find your pleasure in bathing them. Once you have attained this state, there is no distinction between wealth and poverty. Enlightenment and delusion are one in Buddhist teaching. Great desire and desirelessness have much in common.
231 – The Superintendent Novice Sono was a master of cuisine. A marvellous carp was once presented at a certain household. Everyone present was longing to see how Novice Sono would handle it, but hesitated simply to ask him. Being the man he was, however, he understood the situation. ‘I’ve been practising my knife skills on carp for a hundred days,’ he said, ‘so today must be no exception. I humbly request that I be allowed to work on this carp,’ and, so saying, he sliced it up. This was perfect for the occasion, and everyone was most amused.
When someone related this to the Kitayama Minister Novice, however, he remarked, ‘Personally, I find that very irritating. He would have done better to say, “If there’s no one else who can cut it up, let me do it.” Why bring up the matter of the hundred days like that?’
Someone told me this tale because they found it amusing, and I did too. On the whole, it is better to do something unimpressively and simply rather than strive for effect. It is certainly a fine thing to make sure your guests’ banquet is all it should be, but it is also excellent to simply present the meal without fuss. Similarly with giving a gift – the more sincere gesture is simply to say, ‘Here’s something for you,’ rather than present it on a special occasion. It is unpleasant behaviour to give a gift with apparent reluctance, or make it seem some kind of reward from loser to winner.
238 – The imperial guard Chikatomo once drew up a list of seven things in his own praise. They were all to do with the art of horsemanship, and not particularly impressive. This precedent encourages me to make my own list of seven.
- I was out viewing the blossoms one day with a large group of companions when we came cross a man galloping his horse in the vicinity of Saishōkō-in. ‘If he does that again,’ I predicted, ‘the horse will fall and he will come off. Wait and see.’ We paused to watch. Sure enough, he set his horse galloping again, and as he pulled up the horse was dragged over, and the rider tumbled into the mud. Everyone was most impressed that my prediction had proven right.
- When our present emperor was still crown prince, his palace was in Madenokōji. I once had occasion to call in on the chamber occupied by the Horikawa Grand Counsellor when in attendance, and found him with the
scrolls of books four, five and six of the Analects spread before him. ‘His Highness wanted to look at the passage about Confucius hating to see purple trumping red, he said, ‘but he was unable to locate it. He has asked me to continue the search.’ ‘You’ll find it in such-and-such a place in the ninth scroll,’ I told him. He was delighted, and carried it off to show His Highness. This is the kind of thing even children can usually manage, but in the old days people used to praise themselves to the skies about even trivial achievements. When Retired Emperor Gotoba asked Lord Teika whether it was permissible to use the two words for sleeve, sode and tamoto, in the same poem, Teika replied, ‘It is perfectly fine. We have the precedent of the old poem Are the susuki grasses aki no no no the sleeves of the autumn fields? kusa no tamoto ka For their fluttering heads hanasuzuki seem like yearning sleeves ho ni idete maneku waving and beckoning sode to miyuran Teika writes of this very pretentiously, describing how he recalled the poem at this critical moment and claiming that it showed his great good fortune in being under the special protection of the god of poetry. There is similar boasting of the most trifling things in the request for promotion submitted by the Kujō Chief Minister Koremichi.- The inscription on the bell of Jōzaikō-in Temple is in the hand of Lord Arikane. Lord Yukifusa made a fair copy, and when this was to be transferred to the mould for the bell, the novice in charge took out the copy and showed it to me. It contained the lines, ‘Beyond the flowers the tolling bell sends off the darkening evening. / Its sound is heard a hundred miles away.’ ‘This looks as if it was composed in the Yangtang scheme,’ I said, ‘in which case I suspect “a hundred miles” is likely to be a mistake.’ ‘I’m very glad I showed you,’ he said. ‘A very wise thing to do.’ He passed on my opinion to Lord Arikane, who replied that there was indeed a mistake, and ‘a hundred miles’ should be changed to ‘some leagues’. I’m not sure about ‘some leagues’ either. It is possible that it should be ‘some furlongs’. (‘Some leagues’ is indeed suspicious. ‘Some’ means at most four or five, but there is nothing impressive in a bell being heard four or five furlongs away. The phrase simply means that the bell was heard far away.)
- I once went with a large group of people on the Three Pagodas Pilgrimage, and in the Jōgyō Hall at Yokawa we saw an old piece of framed calligraphy with the inscription ‘Ryōge-in’.458 The priest of the temple solemnly explained that there was an unresolved debate over whether it was by Sari or Kōzei. ‘If it’s by Kōzei,’ I said, ‘there will be a signature on the reverse. If by Sari, then not.’ The back was filthy, a nest for insects and smothered in dust, but we carefully wiped it clean and all saw clearly written there the name ‘Kōzei’, with his rank and the date. Everyone was most impressed.
- Once, when the holy priest Dōgen was giving a lecture at Narandaji Temple, he forgot what the Eight Calamities consist of. ‘Can anyone remember them?’ he asked, but none of the listening monks could. I spoke up from where I sat beyond the screen, ‘Would they be … ?’ I suggested, and proceeded to list them. Everyone was full of admiration.
- I had accompanied Abbot Kenjō to see the Perfumed Water Purification.462 The Abbot left before the ceremony was over, but the monk who had accompanied him was nowhere to be seen. The monks were sent back in to search for him, but they emerged after a long time, declaring there were so many others all looking much the same that it was impossible to find him. ‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ said the Abbot, turning to me. ‘Could you look for him?’ So I went back inside and very soon emerged with the man.
- On the fifteenth day of the second month, a bright moonlit night, I went very late to the Senbon Temple. I entered from behind the crowd of worshippers and was sitting there quietly, face deeply hidden, listening to the ceremony, when a lady of unusually refined fragrance and appearance made her way through the people and came and kneeled right beside me, close enough for her scent to pervade me. ‘This is rather awkward,’ I thought, and I shifted away a little on my knees, but she edged closer again until we were as before. At this point I rose and left. Later, an elderly gentlewoman at a refined establishment was chatting idly of this and that when she mentioned that she had once had occasion to look down on me as a very ungallant fellow. ‘There’s a lady who considers you a horribly cold fish,’ she told me. I replied that I had no idea what she was talking about, and that was that. But I subsequently heard that that night at the temple a fine lady had spied me from where she was seated behind her screen. She spruced up her gentlewoman prettily and sent her off to me. ‘With luck,’ she said, ‘you’ll be able to speak to him. Come back and tell me what he was like. This should be fun.’ It had apparently all been planned.