Basho's Staff

Text

Basho said to his disciple: "When you have a staff, I will give it to you. If you have no staff, I will take it away from you." Mumon’s comment: When there is no bridge over the creek the staff will help me. When I return home on a moonless night the staff will accompany me. But if you call this a staff, you will enter hell like an arrow. With this staff in my hand I can measure the depths and shallows of the world. The staff supports the heavens and makes firm the earth. Everywhere it goes the true teaching will be spread.

tr. Nyogen Senzaki, Paul Reps, 1934

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Commentator
  Wumen Huikai
• Speaker
  Bajiao Huiqing

Lineage: Caodong

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 44, Mumonkan

  Mumonkan case 44: Basho's Staff