Zen Koan – Hekiganroku – No. 69 – Zen Master Nansen Draws a Circle

The Case

Zen master Nansen, Kisu, and Mayoku were on their way together to pay their respects to Chu Kokushi. When they were halfway there, Nansen drew a circle on the ground and said, "If you can say a word, I will go on with you." Kisu sat down in the middle of the circle. Mayoku, seeing this, made a bow just as a woman does. Nansen said, "Then I will not go." Kisu said, "What an attitude of mind!"

Engo's Introduction

Where entry is barred, the Seal is like the iron ox's spirit. The monk who has passed through the thorny entanglements is like a snowflake on a red-hot hearth. Putting aside for a moment the "seven piercing and eight breaking through," what about acting independently of words and logic?

Verse

Yaki's arrow shot the monkey. How straight it flew, circling the tree. Out of thousands, even tens of thousands, how many have hit the mark? Corne, let us go home together. No need to pay respects to Sokei but again-why not? Isn't it a smooth road to Sokei?