Zen Koan – Hekiganroku – No. 42 – Ho Koji’s “Beautiful Snowflakes”

The Case

Ho Koji (Layperson) was leaving zen master Yakusan. Yakusan let ten Zen students escort him to the temple gate to bid him farewell. Koji pointed to the falling snowflakes and said, "Beautiful snowflakes, one by one; but they fall nowhere else." Then one of the students, named Zen, said, "Then where do they fall?'' Koji gave him a slap. Zen said, "Koji! You shouldn't be so abrupt." Koji said, "If you are like that and call yourself a zen student, Emma will never let you go." Zen said, "What about yourself?" Koji gave him another slap and said, "You look, but you are like a blind man you speak, but you are like a deaf-mute."

[Setcho adds his comment: "Why didn't you hit him with a snowball in place of your first question?"]

Engo's Introduction

He talks independently, acts independently; and he trudges through the mire for the sake of others. He talks with others, acts with others; and he stands alone, like silver mountains and iron cliffs. If you doubt and hesitate, you will be a ghost haunting a skull. If you stop to think, you will fall into hell. Don't you see the bright sun shining in the sky and feel the cool breeze blowing across the face of the earth? Was any of the great ones of ancient times like this?

Verse

Hit him with a snowball, hit him with a ball! Even the best will fail to reply. Neither heaven nor earth knows what to do. Eyes and ears are blocked with snow. Transcendent serenity and purity! Even the blue-eyed old monk can't explain.