Zen Koan & Mysticism – Mumonkan – Case No. 5 – Zen Master Kyogen’s “Man up in a Tree”

The Case

Zen master Kyogen said, "It is like a man up in a tree hanging from a branch with his mouth; his hands grasp no bough, his feet rest on no limb. Someone appears under the tree and asks him, 'What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?' If he does not answer, he fails to respond to the question. If he does answer, he will lose his life. What would you do in such a situation?"

Mumon's Comment

Even if your eloquence flows like a river, it is of no avail. Though you can expound the whole of literature, it is of no use. If you solve this problem, you will give life to the way that has been dead until this moment and destroy the way that has been alive up to now. Otherwise you must wait for Maitreya Buddha and ask him.

Verse

Kyogen is truly thoughtless; His vice and poison are endless.  He stops up the mouths of the monks And devil's eyes sprout from their bodies.