Speaking of Zen, Caught Red Handed

The Reading:

In the Introduction to Case II of the Hekiganroku we have:
    Say the word "Buddha", and you wallow in mud and flounder in puddles.  Say the word "Zen", and your whole face is as red as a beetroot with shame and humiliation.

Case XXX, Mumonkan, R.H. Blyth

THE VERSE


It is broad daylight, a fine day;
It is silly to rummage around,
And asking about the Buddha
Is like declaring oneself innocent while
  holding onto stolen goods.

-Mumon

Discussion:

Zen Masters are notorious for their anger at the questions of the unenlightened, not the least because these questions have no answers, cannot be answered, aren't understood by the questioner, when answered the answers won't be understood by the questioner, are impertinent, contain the answer, and most embarrassingly, reveal that Zen Masters know nothing of Zen, and thus cannot reply without humiliating themselves.

The greatest koans are just the best examples of embarrassing behavior which we have forgiven.  If ever I sit in an audience of such questioners, I will feel the embarrassment acutely myself.  We have all asked, but for some of us who later understood what we were asking, it is easy to forgive the questioner, hard to forgive anyone who is being asked.  

Better to put donkey ears on the poor Zen Master and take turns putting a boot to his behind then ask him about Zen.  At least then the embarrassment can be felt all the way around.