Zen Koan & Mysticism – Mumonkan – Case No. 15 – Zen Master Tozan’s Sixty Blows

The Case

Tozan came to study with Ummon. Ummon asked, "Where are you from?" "From Sato," Tozan
replied. "Where were you during the summer?" "Well, I was at the monastery of Hozu, south of the lake." "When did you leave there?" Ummon asked. "On August 25" was Tozan's reply. "I spare you sixty blows," Ummon said. The next day Tozan came to Ummon and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows. I beg to ask you, where was I at fault?" "Oh,
you rice bag!" shouted Ummon. "What makes you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?" Tozan thereupon came to a mighty enlightenment experience.

Mumon's Comment

If Ummon had given Tozan the true food of Zen and encouraged him to develop an active Zen
spirit, his school would not have declined as it did. Tozan had an agonizing struggle through the whole night, lost in the sea of right and wrong. He reached a complete impasse. After waiting for the dawn, he again went to Ummon, and Ummon again made him a picture book of Zen. Even though he was directly enlightened, Tozan could not be called brilliant.

Now, I want to ask you, should Tozan have been given sixty blows or not? If you say yes, you admit that all the universe should be beaten. If you say no, then you accuse Ummon of telling a lie. If your ally understand the secret, you will be able to br athe out Zen spirit with the very mouth of Tozan.

Verse

The lion had a secret to puzzle his cub: The cub crouched, leaped and slied forward. The second time, a casual move led to checkmate: The first arrow was light, but the second went deep.