Sunday, June 17, 2012

The Staff

The Reading:

THE CASE
Basho once said, "If you have a staff, I will give you one.  If you have no staff I will take it from you."
Case 44, Mumonkan, R.H. Blyth


Discussion:

Blyth notes that Daii Motetsu (9th descendant of Rinzai) disagreed with Basho, and said he thought it should be 'have a stick - take it, don't have a stick - give it'.  I obviously don't see as clearly as Daii Motetsu, for I know that he is wrong.  You cannot give a stick to a man who does have one.  Bah.

Whoever this Basho was, I salute him.  What a wind bag!

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