Zen Koan & Mysticism – Mumonkan – Case No. 11 – Zen Master Joshu Sees the Hermits

The Case

Joshu went to a hermit's cottage and asked, "Is the master in? Is the master in?" The hermit raised his fist. Josho said, "The water is too shallow to anchor here,'' and he went away.
Coming to another hermit's cottage, he asked again, "Is the master in? Is the master in?" This hermit, too, raised his fist. Jösho said, "Free to give, free to take, free to kill, free to save," and he made a deep bow.

Mumon's Comment

Both raised their fists; why was the one accepted and the other rejected? Tell me, what is the
difficulty here? If you can give a turning word to clarify this problem, you will realize that Joshu's tongue has no bone in it, now helping others up, now knocking them down, with perfect freedom. However, I must remind you: the two hermits could also see through Joshu. If you say there is anything to choose between the two hermits, you have no eye of realization. If you say there is no choice between the two, you have no eye of realization.

Verse

The eye like a shooting star, The spirit like lightning; A death-dealing blade, A life-giving sword.