Friday, February 10, 2012

Ummon's Robe, Translating the verse

The Reading:

THE CASE
Ummon said, "The world is vast and wide; for what is it that you put on your seven piece robe at the sound of the bell?"
...
THE VERSE
If you are enlightened, all things are as though of one great family,
But if not, everything is separate and disconnected.
If you are not enlightened [it makes no difference anyway because] all things are as of one great family.
And if you are enlightened [this also makes no difference to reality, in which] every single thing is different from every other thing.
Mumonkon, Zen and Zen Classics Volume 4, Case Sixteen
R.H. Blyth

The  Discussion:

I would have translated the verse like this (even though I can't read Chinese):

When you are enlightened, everything is part of a great family
When you are not, everything is disconnected.
It doesn't matter if you are enlightened, everything is the same.
It doesn't matter if you aren't, everything is unique.

If you can answer Ummon's question then you are ready for dinner.

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