Zen Koan – Hekiganroku – No. 49 – Zen Master Sansho “The Golden Carp out of the Net”

The Case

Sansho said to zen master Seppo, "The golden carp is out of the net! Tell me, what will it feed on?" Seppo said, "When you have got out of the net, I will tell you." Sansho said, "The renowned teacher of fifteen hundred monks cannot find even one word to say about this topic." Seppo said, "I am the chief abbot and have much to attend to."

Engo's Introduction

Seven piercing and eight breaking through, seizing the drums and capturing the banners, a hundred barriers and a thousand checkpoints, watching the front and guarding the rear, holding the tiger's head and securing its tail-even all these are not comparable to the veteran master's ability. The ox-head disappearing, the horse-head appears, that also is not a great wonder. Tell me, what do you do when a man of transcendent experience comes?

Verse

The golden carp comes out of the net! Don't say it remains in the water still. lt shakes the heavens and moves the earth, swinging its fins, lashing its tail. It blows like a whale, raising great waves; Then the thunder sounds, and a cool breeze comes; A cool breeze-yes! a cool breeze comes. Who in the whole universe knows this?