It Is Not Mind, It Is Not Buddha, It Is Not Things

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A monk asked Nansen: "Is there a teaching no master ever preached before?" Nansen said: "Yes, there is." "What is it?" asked the monk. Nansen replied: "It is not mind, it is not Buddha, it is not things." Mumon’s comment: Old Nansen gave away his treasure-words. He must have been greatly upset. Nansen was too kind and lost his treasure. Truly, words have no power. Even though the mountain becomes the sea, Words cannot open another's mind.

tr. Nyogen Senzaki, Paul Reps, 1934

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Speaker
  Nanquan Puyuan
• Commentator
  Wumen Huikai

Lineage: Nanyue line

By Nanquan Puyuan

• Nansen Cuts the Cat in Twokoan
• Learning Is Not The Pathkoan
• Ordinary Mind Is the Waydialogue
• Nanquan Kills the Catdialogue
• A Flower in a Dreamdialogue

From Mumonkan

• Every Season Is a Good Season
• Preface to the Gateless Barrier
• The Wild Fox Koan
• Joshu's DogCase 1
• Hyakujo's FoxCase 2
• Gutei's FingerCase 3
• A Beardless ForeignerCase 4
• Kyogen Mounts the TreeCase 5
• Buddha Twirls a FlowerCase 6
• Joshu Washes the BowlCase 7

Sources

• contentMumonkan (Gateless Barrier) — Senzaki & Reps translation, 1934

  Nyogen Senzaki, Paul Reps (trans.)

  Case 27, Mumonkan

  Mumonkan case 27: It Is Not Mind, It Is Not Buddha, It Is Not Things