A Koan

With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,

Case 46 Kyosei's "Voice of the Raindrops"

Main Subject: Kyosei asked a monk, "What is the noise outside?" The
monk said, "That is the voice of the raindrops." Kyosei said, "Men's
thinking is topsy-turvy. Deluded by their own selves, they pursue things."
The monk asked, "What about yourself?" Kyosei said, "I was near it, but I
am not deluded." The monk asked, "What do you mean by 'near it but not
deluded'?" Kyosei said, "To say it in the sphere of realization may be easy, but
to say it in the sphere of transcendence is
difficult."


Setcho's Verse:

The empty hall
resounds with the voice of the raindrops.
Even a master fails to
answer.
If you say you have turned the current,
You have no true
understanding.
Understanding? No understanding?
Misty with rain, the
northern and southern mountains.

from The Blue Cliff Record, translated by Sekida


The Dao that can be spoken is not the Dao. Our realization is a private affair. Too often we seek confirmation that we've "got it". In both the seeking and in the speaking we betray our true status. Our practice is selfless. No enlightened beings may enter: The empty hall resounds with the voice of the raindrops.

Here is life, step into it. Don't ponder it. Don't talk about it. Eat it.
Be well.