Shoyoroku Case 21: Yunyan Sweeping the Ground is a koan in which Daowu Yuanzhi asks Yunyan Tansheng, who is sweeping the courtyard, "Why are you working so busily?", to which Yunyan responds by lifting his broom.
Usually, people say that "there is high enlightenment right inside ordinary daily labor like sweeping." However, in this dictionary, we define it as a practical lesson: "introspective training like zazen and concrete labor like samu are originally an inseparable unity; the true Way exists right inside cutting off unnecessary discrimination and distracting thoughts to immerse one's whole body and soul in the role right in front of us."
Q: Why did later Zen masters such as Xuansha and Yunmen criticize the exchange between these two?
A: Because by the end of the Tang dynasty, the interaction between Yunyan and Daowu had already become famous. To masters of the Deshan lineage, who possessed a stern Zen style, they appeared to be caught up in words and forms. Therefore, they sharply criticized it, arguing that "explaining the logic or demonstrating it through physical gestures is already unnatural and an unnecessary act." However, this was merely a matter of expressive style, and the state of realization attained by Yunyan struck right at the core of the truth.
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ぼちぴ…「個人探究の生き方」を運営する人間。
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Bochipi...A human who runs the blog "Solo Quest Living." aboutぼちぴ
