Zen Koan – Cookies of Zen – Case 26 – Seven Wise Women

In Buddha's time there was a story about the seven wise women which I (Hye-Am) have often heard. On August 3rd 1975, one student brought me a book of Son Master Kyung-Bong's dharma talks. I was happy to see and hear that there was a section about the seven wise women.

I carefully observed the essence of those stories. It was very extraordinary and not easy to accurately see; especially the comments made by Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack, who is not really well known to us. His talk was truly equal to all the Buddhas and Patriarchs. His words implied the most sublime essence. I was deeply impressed by the brightness of his seeing.

In Buddha's time, seven wise women had to pass through the cemetery hills on the way to see the flower garden. One of them saw human remains in the woods and pointed this out to the other woman, asking, "This corpse is here. Where did the Master of this corpse go?" One of them heard and said, "What?" And asked, "What do you mean by that?" All of them carefully considered the question for a while, and then at that place, each of them finally enlightened to the Way.

King Sakra-Deva

At that time the King of Sakra-Deva saw and heard through his heaven-eyes and heaven-ears and told them, "Oh, Holy Sisters, I will offer you everything until my body disintegrates!"

The seven wise women told the Sakra-Deva King, "We have everything and already keep all the seven jewels. There is no need for more than we have, except for three things, which we would like to request you give ti us,

First, one rootless tree. Second, a piece of land having neither sunny side nor dark side. Third, an echoless valley.

Sakra said, "I can give you everything you want except those three things." The seven wise women asked in return, "If you cannot give us these things, dear King, how could you liberate human beings?" Sakra sadly replied, "I do not even know the meaning of those three things. I may have to go and ask Buddha at Eagle's Peak."

Right after this conservation, Sakra and those wise women went to tell this story to Buddha. Buddha spoke, "Sakra-Deva, good King, even all my disciples and arahats do not know that. It can be known only by the great Bodhisattva Mahasattvas."

Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack

The Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack commented on this one time to a gathering. "All of you listen carefully. When Sakra and the seven wise women raised the question, they were immediately knocked out and hurled three thousand miles away. If rootless tree were requested, I would reply, 'It is cemetery hills.' If the piece of land with neither sunny side nor dark side is requested, I would say, 'Spring has come, grass naturally turns green.' If an echoless valley were requested, I would say, 'Big stone is big, small one is small.'

If I told them like this, those seven wise women would raise up their hands in surrender. Besides that, even Sakra-Deva King, too, would find a way to survive. Now, tell me, why is that? According to what the seven wise women saw, they were already inside a thorn patch and could not come out. In order to come out of that thorn patch, what should they have said?" The Zen Master had a Good-Silence for a while and sang a Verse:

Calling each other, echoes returning in exchange. Thousands of bones and thousands of gates are all just the right color of spring.

Zen Master Hye-Am

I would like to furnish an annotation to this: None of us know what drives this body, or form where it comes, or to where it goes. Those seven wise women were enlightened to the Way by seeing the corpse in the cemetery hills. However, if we carefully observe this whole story, the Sakra-Deva King scattered the flowers from heaven for those seven wise women because all of them becoming enlightened was an amazing fact and extremely rare.

By saying, "Oh Holy Sisters, I will offer you everything until my body disintegrates," the King paid great respect. Now, why, when the wise women heard the King, did they challenge him with a dharma form of conversation? If they really wanted to challenge him, they should have asked what the names of the treasure jewels were in heaven. After finding out the names, they could have asked whether and how he could give them those jewels.

That would have been the most respectful manner to respond to his offering. By this they could have found out the true Meaning of his offering. Therefore, they should have listened to him, as to whether or not he planned to offer the treasure jewels before making their request was made. That would have been the right order of asking.

The King

If the King did not know three things, the seven wise women, in return, should have told him what they were. But, they went to see Buddha at Eagle's Peak instead. Even though the seven wise women talked about three things, it is not clear whether they went to see Buddha to learn about these or not.

Besides, since Sakra-Deva King has five supernatural powers, he should have known their minds perfectly. Why didn't he clearly distinguish whether or not those wise women knew them? The depths of this essence, even Sages cannot see and transmit to each other. Is this the reason he did not know? This question needs to be observed.

Also, if Sakra-Deva King did not know the meaning of these three things, he should have asked them what they were. But, why rather, did they go all the way to see the Buddha? This question also needs to be observed.

On the other hand, Buddha is the one whose wisdom is omnipresent. Yet, when he was asked, he just called his name, Sakra-Deva!

After this, why did he say, "Even all my disciples and arahats do not know that. It can be known only by the great Bodhisattva Mahasattvas." Why didn't even Buddha, who has omnipresent wisdom, clearly distinguish the meaning?

Here, even though Buddha's answer seemed too simple and without meaning, still right here the correct, essential meaning of the right answer is hidden. The one with a bright eye should look carefully. Since Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack said that the seven wise women's three formless things are inside the thorn patch, he answered their requests with visual things. Now, in what kind of a thorn patch are those things truly?

Venerable Zen Master Hye-Am's Note

I would like to elucidate three things:

The rootless Tree: Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack answered, "It is cemetery hills." Master Kyung-Bong said, "In the human body the hairs are the trees and grasses; that is, it is the hairs of seven wise women." But, I would say instead, "Spring has come, grass naturally turns green!"
One piece of land with neither sunny side nor dark side: Zen Master Kyung-Bong said, "Human being's head is in heaven and the foot is the earth. This indicates the feet of the seven wise women. Without depending on the spring wind, the colors are naturally fascinating." But, I instead, would answer, "Land has already emerged when there is neither sunny side nor dark side."
Echoless Valley: Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack commented, "Big stone is big; small stone is small." Master Kyung-Bong responded, "Our teeth are outstretched lie a fence of swords and a wall of spears. Whatever vegetable goes into the mouth will be smashed and perish into small pieces. So the teeth become sword fences and spear walls again. However, that indicates the teeth of the seven wise women are a sword fence and spear wall." What the Zen Master Jang-Ro Sack should have said was "Spear fence and sword wall are uneven. I don't know why they chose what was distant and sacrificed what was close." But, I would rather say, "In the endless mountain valley, one cannot hear the echo; that is, the dark ones see the darkness, the bright ones see the brightness."

According to what the seven wise women saw, it has been said that they could not get out of that thorn patch by themselves. Now, the word "thorn patch," is the one that's really hard to observe.

About this thorn patch, it was said, "Calling each other, echoes returning in exchange; thousands of houses and thousands of gates are all just the right color of spring." Now, what calls? What returns? Everyone should observe these two questions. If someone asked me about this, I would say,

First, the thorn patch is, 'As soon as thought moves, it will be disintegrated.' Second, what is calling and returning? "The one path at the door in front goes all the way to the capital.'"