Chinese legend tells us that Ōbaku Kiun/Huangbo Xiyun taught the koan of Fame and Gain to the Tang Dynasty Emperor himself. It is of course not true because of who said it, but because we have plenty of evidence for it, if we are willing to look, as so many are not. This is not one of the incomprehensible koans you hear so much about, but one with a clear surface meaning. The hard part is wanting to do it.
I cite as part of the evidence our current politics, divided as it is between
- the devotees of privilege
- the devotees of doing the maximum good for all, even for those who hates it forever!!!!
Group 1 has defined Group 2 as their enemies, indeed the enemies of everything important (fame) and valuable (gain). I will say no more of them today, but you can follow their doings everywhere, including my posts on Project 2025/Agenda 47/the Republican Party platform meant to be adopted at their convention this week.
Verses from the Dhammapada 251: “There is no fire like hatred, no rushing like craving.”
Master Obaku was standing on the banks of the Yellow River with the Chinese Emperor. The Emperor looked out across the water and admired all the ships crowding it. He pointed them out to Obaku as evidence of the greatness of his empire. But Master Obaku replied "I can only see two ships." The Emperor was amazed and said "What do you mean? The river is full of them.” The Master repeated "I can only see two ships, the ship of gain and the ship of fame.” This caused the Emperor to rethink his policies and as a result a new golden age was ushered in.
There is almost no genuine historical or biographical information about Huangbo. But he and his chief disciple Rinzai left us a treasure house of wonderful koans.
What is known of Huángbò's teachings comes from two texts, the Ch’uan-hsin Fa-yao (Essential of Mind Transmission) and the Wan-ling Lu (Record of Wan-ling: Japanese: Enryōroku) written by Huángbò's student, Pei Xiu.[d] Pei compiled the teachings from his own notes and sent the manuscript to the senior monks on Mount Huangbo for further editing and emendation.
The “official” version of the Huángbò literature was published as part of the Transmission of the Lamp, Compiled during the Ching-te Period, in 1004.[7] The record of Huángbò is more or less equally split between sermons by the master and question and answer dialogues between the master and his disciples and lay people.
Thus
This mind is Buddha.
The Way is not something which can be studied.
If you will only cease to indulge in opposed concepts such as ‘ordinary’ and ‘Awakened’, illusion will cease of itself.
Soto Zen has taken note of Obaku.
Nansen asked Obaku, “Where are you going?”
Obaku said, “To pick vegetables.”
Nansen said, “What will you pick them with?”
Obaku held up a knife.
Nansen said, “You only know how to be a guest; you don’t know how to be a host.”
Nansen and Obaku certainly were adepts meeting each other; if it were me, I’d deal with it differently. When Obaku held up the knife, in Nansen’s place I’d say to Obaku, “In my royal storehouse there is no such knife.”
Investigate!
Dogen Zenji Goroku, Record of Sayings of Zen Master Dogen
As with all koans, it is easy to form opinions not rooted in training. So we do not say that lay persons should not earn a living, nor that monks should not accept offerings, nor that we should not honor the World-Honored One and other true teachers. Keep to the Middle Way, as always.