The Shoyoroku Case 25: Yanguan's Rhinoceros Fan is a koan in which Yanguan Qian orders his attendant, “Bring me the rhinoceros-horn fan,” and when the attendant answers, “The fan is broken,” Yanguan presses him, “Then return the original rhinoceros to me.” Later, Zifu Ruhobao answered by writing the character “ox” inside an Enso (circle). Usually, people say that “do not be trapped by breaking and perishing phenomena (the fan), but awaken to the unchanging Original Face (the rhinoceros).” However, in this dictionary, we define it as a practical lesson: “do not freeze your mind by being trapped by past failures or physical defects (the broken fan), but live by immediately and fully opening the unchanging function of life (the rhinoceros) that is manifested right here and right now.”
Q: Why did Master Yanguan press his attendant, “Return the original rhinoceros to me,” even though the attendant told him that the fan was broken?
A: Because while the attendant was trapped by the visible, shaped “fan (breaking and perishing phenomenon / past event)” and froze, Master Yanguan shook him up to make him immediately present the “rhinoceros (the unchanging Original Face / the function of life right here and right now),” which is never damaged even if its form breaks.
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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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