Ummon's Sidetrack

Text

A Zen student told Ummon: "Brilliancy of Buddha illuminates the whole universe." Before he finished the phrase Ummon asked: "You are reciting another's poem, are you not?" "Yes," answered the student. "You are sidetracked," said Ummon. Afterwards another teacher, Shishin, asked his pupils: "At what point did that student go off the track?" Mumon’s comment: If anyone perceives Ummon's particular skillfulness, he will know at what point the student was off the track, and he will be a teacher of man and Devas. If not, he cannot even perceive himself. When a fish meets the fishhook If he is too greedy, he will be caught. When his mouth opens His life already is lost.

tr. Nyogen Senzaki, Paul Reps, 1934

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Speaker
  Yunmen Wenyan
• Commentator
  Wumen Huikai

Lineage: Yunmen

By Yunmen Wenyan

• Bells And Robeskoan
• Dried Dungkoan
• Why Put on Your Robe?proverb
• Yunmen's One-Word Barriersdialogue
• Every Day Is a Good Daysaying

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 39, Mumonkan

  Mumonkan case 39: Ummon's Sidetrack