Zen Koan – Hekiganroku – Nr. 46 – Zen Master Kyosei’s “Voice of the Raindrops”

The Case

Zen master Kyosei asked a monk, "What is the noise outside?" The monk said, "That is the voice of the raindrops." Kyosei said, "Men's thinking is topsy-turvy. Deluded by their own selves, they pursue things." The monk asked, "What about yourself?" Kyosei said, "I was near it but am not deluded." The monk asked, "What do you mean by 'near it but not deluded'?" Kyosei said, "To say it in the sphere of realization may be easy, but to say it in the sphere of transcendence is difficult."

Engo's Introduction

In a single action he transcends both the ordinary and the holy. With a single word he cuts away all complications and encumbrances. He walks the ridge of an iceberg, he treads the edge of a sword. Seated amid the totality of form and sound, he rises above them. Leaving aside the freedom of such subtle activity, tell me, what about finishing it in a moment?

Verse

The empty hall resounds with the voice of the raindrops. Even a master fails to answer. If you say you have turned the current, you have no true understanding. Understanding? No understanding? Misty with rain, the northern and southern mountains.