Zen Koan – Hekiganroku – No. 25 – The Master of Rengeho’s Staff

The Case

The master of the hermitage held out his staff and said to his disciples, "When, in olden times, a man reached the state of enlightenment, why did he not remain there?" No one could answer, and he replied for them, "Because it is of no use in the course of life." And again he asked, ''After all, what will you do with it?" And once again he said in their stead, "Taking no notice of others, throwing his staff over his shoulder, he goes straight ahead and journeys deep into the recesses of the hundred thousand mountains."

Engo's Introduction

If the action of one's ki is not independent of one's degree of enlightenment, one falls into a sea of poison. If one's words do not astonish the crowd, one slips into the conventional. If you can distinguish black from white in the moment of a spark's being struck and can tell life from death in the instant of a flash of lightning, then you will be able to command all quarters and stand firm like a thousandfathom cliff. Who could ever be so?

Verse

His eyes filled with sand, his ears with clay,
Even among the thousand mountains he does not remain.
Falling blossoms, flowing streams: he leaves no trace.
Open your eyes wide, and you'll wonder where he's gone.