常識を超える一歩で、迷いを直感に変える
ある日、南泉は東西両堂の僧たちが一匹の子猫をめぐって争っているのを見た。
南泉はそれを見て、子猫を取り上げて言った。
南泉：言ってみよ。もし言い得るなら、この猫は斬らずに済ませよう。
しかし、誰も答えることができなかった。
そこで南泉は、その子猫を斬て真っ二つにしてしまった。
その後、南泉はこの出来事を趙州に話して、どう思うかと尋ねた。
趙州は、草鞋を脱ぎ、それを頭の上に載せたまま立ち去った。
南泉：もしお前がその場にいたなら、まさにこの猫を救えただろう。
従容録第九則南泉斬猫
南泉普願と猫
南泉普願は唐時代に今でいう安徹省にある南泉山に住んでいた。俗称が王氏というので、王老師とも自称し、他からもそう呼ばれていた。
今回の本則にある、東西両堂とは、坐禅をする禅堂だとする説と、お経を納めてある経堂だとする説の二つの説がある。なぜ、遺教経に、寺院ではいかなる人・動物も所有しないとあるのに、ここでは猫がいるのだろうか。
この猫は、経典をかじるネズミを狩る用の猫だと推察できる。そういう理由で、釈迦の入滅が描かれた涅槃図でも、猫の姿がよく確認される。それなので、東西両堂というのは、経堂か、もしくは経堂にいた猫が坐禅堂に入ってきてしまったのではないかと推察できる。
猫をめぐる争いと南泉の衝撃的な行動
この猫について、僧侶たちが、仏性論だが因果論だが、仏道について言い争っていた。そこで、南泉が「さぁ言ってみろ、猫がどうしたのか？もしいえるなら猫を斬らずにおくが、できないなら斬ってしまうぞ」と言った。そして、片手に猫、片手に刃物を持った。両堂の僧侶たちは、南泉のすごい剣幕にのまれて、誰も一言もいわない。それだから、南泉は猫を斬ってしまった。それで、この騒ぎの最中にいなかった高弟の趙州が帰ってきた。南泉が、今日の顛末を語った。
趙州従諗の行動の意味とは？
すると趙州は、足にはいていたクツを脱いで頭におき、それで方丈を出ていってしまった。このクツについて、日本ではよく草鞋といっているが、草鞋ではなくて、草でつくったクツである。その趙州の行動について南泉は「おまえがもしいてくれたら、あの猫は斬らずに助けられたのになぁ、惜しいことをした」といった。
これはどういった意味なのだろうか。もちろん、南泉斬猫は禅的慣用手段である。これはあくまでもたとえであり、実際に切ったわけではない。比喩として読めば、肝心な一言がいえないなら言い争ってもしかたがない、思考や理屈の束縛を断ち切れという意味だ。それで、趙州は足で履くべきクツを脱いで頭にのせて出ていった。これは常識や論理をひっくり返すことを象徴し、理屈で理解できる世界ではないということを言葉を使わずに示し、議論の場から出ていっている。だから、常識を超えたことを示せば、クツを頭に乗せなくても、なんでもよかったのだ。
この記事の核心
- 常識や論理、言葉による理屈の束縛を断ち切れ。
- 固定観念を捨てて、迷いを直感に変える一歩を踏み出せ。
- 正解のない問いに対し、自らの行動で真実を示せ。
私の体験談
私は仕事上、子どもの進路について悩む親たちに向き合ってきた。よく、「どこの大学に行かせるべきか」と、理屈や社会的常識に囚われ、議論が堂々巡りになっていた。「あーでもない、こーでもない」と話し続ける親は、まるでそれ自体を楽しみ酔っているようにも見えた。
私は突然、「大学に行かずに働くのも十分価値がありますよ」と言った。これは、身を斬るような、無慈悲な言葉に聞こえるようで、親は顔をしかめた。言葉だけでは届かないと思い、実際に自分の働いた経験や、収入や学びの現実的な例を並べた。また、子どもたちが大学進学するだけの学力がないことも示した。
実際の体験や失敗例を交えながら話すその行為は、親たちの固定観念を象徴的に揺さぶる衝撃となり、一瞬、部屋は静まり返った。親たちは、頭を抱え、沈黙の中で自分たちの常識を疑い始める。しかし、やはり親たちは、私の話を却下し、大学に進学させることを肯定する話をし続けた。
私は諦めて、その場を離れた。
まとめ
南泉は、猫を斬るという比喩表現を使って、結論が出ないなら言い争ってもしかたがない、思考や理屈の束縛を断ち切れということを示した。
趙州は、足で履くべきクツを脱いで頭にのせて出ていくことで、常識や論理をひっくり返すことを示した。
同じように私も、大学に進学させたほうが就職に有利だという常識に、自分の体験を交えてメスを入れた。
このように、行動や、体験、実際のデータで示すことで、あーでもないこーでもないという終わりのない議論を終わらせることができる。
Take a step beyond common sense, and change doubt into intuition
From The Shoyoroku Case 9: Nanquan Cuts the Cat
One day, monks from the East Hall and the West Hall were fighting over a small cat. Master Nanquan saw this. He picked up the cat and said to the monks:
Nanquan: “Give me one word of Zen. If you can say it, I will save this cat.”
However, no monk could answer him. They were too confused. Then, Nanquan cut the cat into two pieces.
Later, Nanquan told this story to his student, Zhaozhou. He asked Zhaozhou for his opinion. Zhaozhou took off his straw shoes, put them on his head, and walked away.
Nanquan: “If you were there, you could have saved the cat.”
Master Nanquan and the Cat
Nanquan lived on Mount Nanquan in Anhui Province during the Tang Dynasty. His original family name was Wang. Because of this, he called himself Teacher Wang (王老師). Other people also called him by that name.
There are two theories about the “East and West Halls” in this story.
- They were 禅堂 (halls for zazen meditation).
- They were 経堂 (halls for keeping sutras).
Why was a cat in the temple?
The 遺教経 (The Buddha’s Last Teaching Sutra) says that monks should not keep people or animals in a temple. However, there was a cat in this story. Why?
We can guess the reason. The cat was there to hunt mice. Mice often ate the important sutras. In fact, we can often see cats in 涅槃図 (paintings of Shaka’s death,Nirvana paintings). This is because cats protected the teachings.Therefore, we can guess that the cat was in the halls for keeping sutras. Or, perhaps the cat came from the halls for keeping sutras into the halls for zazen meditation.
The Fight Over the Cat and Nanquan’s Shocking Action
One day, monks were fighting about the cat. They talked about Buddha-nature and Causality. They used difficult theories of Buddhism to explain the situation.Then, Master Nanquan appeared. He held the cat in one hand and a knife in the other hand. He spoke to the monks:
Nanquan: “Speak! What is this cat? If you can say a word of Zen, I will save the cat. If you cannot say it, I will cut the cat.”The monks were very afraid because Nanquan looked very serious. They were overwhelmed by his spirit. No one could say a single word. Then, Nanquan cut the cat into two pieces.
Later, his best student, Zhaozhou, came back. He was not there during the trouble. Nanquan told Zhaozhou about everything that happened that day.
The Meaning of Zhaozhou’s Action
Upon hearing the story, Zhaozhou took off his shoes. He put the shoes on his head and walked out of the room.In Japan, people often say these shoes were 草鞋(waragi,straw sandals). However, they were actually shoes made of grass.
Master Nanquan saw this and said:
Nanquan: “If you had been there, I could have saved the cat. It is a pity.”
What does this mean? Of course, “Nanquan Cuts the Cat” is a Zen teaching method. This story is a metaphor. He did not actually kill a real cat.As a metaphor, this story means: “If you cannot say an important word, your argument is useless. You must cut your bond to logic and fixed ideas.“Zhaozhou took off his shoes and put them on his head. Then he walked away.
This action symbolizes turning common sense and logic upside down. He showed that the truth of Zen is not in a world of reasons. He did this without using any words and left the place of the argument. Therefore, any action was fine if it showed a step beyond common sense. He did not have to put shoes on his head. He only needed to show that he was free from fixed ideas.
The core
- Cut your bond to common sense, logic, and words.
- Throw away fixed ideas, and take a step to change doubt into intuition.
- Show the truth through your own actions for questions without answers.
My Experience
I once worked with parents who were worried about their children’s future. They were trapped by logic and common sense. They only asked, “Which university should my child go to?” Their discussion went around in circles. They continued to talk for a long time, and they looked as if they were enjoying the argument itself.
Suddenly, I said, “It is also very valuable to work without going to university.” These words sounded cruel, like cutting their own bodies. The parents made a face. I thought that words were not enough. So, I showed them real examples of my work experience, income, and the reality of learning. I also showed that the children did not have enough academic ability to go to university. I talked about my real experiences and examples of failure. This action shocked the parents and shook their fixed ideas.
Suddenly, the room became very quiet. The parents held their heads in their hands. In the silence, they began to doubt their own common sense.However, the parents eventually rejected my story. They continued to talk about why going to university was the only right way. So,I gave up and left the place.
conclusion
Nanquan used the metaphor of “cutting the cat” to show a message: if an argument has no conclusion, it is useless to continue fighting. He showed that we must cut our bonds to logic and fixed ideas.
Zhaozhou took off his shoes and put them on his head. By doing this, he showed that he could turn common sense and logic upside down.
In the same way, I challenged the common sense that “going to university is better for getting a job” by sharing my own real experiences. By using actions, personal experiences, and real data, we can end endless arguments that never reach a conclusion.
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