Anthony, Because Bill! read the koan as a myth - so 500 years, 500 re-births or 51 re-births are all the same to him - a long time.
...Bill! --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > Why did Bill want to shorten the time the fox spent from 500 rebirths to 500 > years? >  > Nevertheless, I agree to give respect and honor to the fox, in case Bill or > me have to go through the process of that kind of rebirth. >  > Anthony > > --- On Fri, 20/5/11, ED <seacrofter001@...> wrote: > > > From: ED <seacrofter001@...> > Subject: [Zen] Re: Self Nature > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, 20 May, 2011, 10:56 PM > > >  > > > > >  > Hyakujo's Fox > When Hyakujo Osho delivered a certain series of sermons, an old man always > followed the monks to the main hall and listened to him. When the monks left > the hall, the old man would also leave. One day, however, he remained behind, > and Hyakujo asked him, "Who are you, standing here before me?" > The old man replied, "I am not a human being. In the old days of Kashyapa > Buddha, I was a head monk, living here on this mountain. One day a student > asked me, 'Does a man of enlightenment fall under the yoke of causation or > not?' I answered, 'No, he does not.' > Since then I have been doomed to undergo five hundred rebirths as a fox. I > beg you now to give the turning word to release me from my life as a fox. > Tell me, does a man of enlightenment fall under the yoke of causation or > not?" > Hyakujo answered, "He does not ignore causation." > No sooner had the old man heard these words than he was enlightened. Making > his bows, he said, "I am emancipated from my life as a fox. I shall remain on > this mountain. I have a favour to ask of you: would you please bury my body > as that of a dead monk." > Hyakujo had the director of the monks strike with the gavel and inform > everyone that after the midday meal there would be a funeral service for a > dead monk. The monks wondered at this, saying, "Everyone is in good health; > nobody is in the sick ward. What does this mean?" > After the meal Hyakujo led the monks to the foot of a rock on the far side of > the mountain and with his staff poked out the dead body of a fox and > performed the ceremony of cremation. > That evening he ascended the rostrum and told the monks the whole story. > obaku thereupon asked him, "The old man gave the wrong answer and was doomed > to be a fox for five hundred rebirths. Now, suppose he had given the right > answer, what would have happened then?" > Hyakujo said, "You come here to me, and I will tell you." > Obaku went up to Hyakujo and boxed his ears. Hyakujo clapped his hands with a > laugh and exclaimed, "I was thinking that the barbarian had a red beard, but > now I see before me the red-bearded barbarian himself." > http://oaks.nvg.org/gate-struggles.html#2 >  > --- In [email protected], Jue Miao Jing Ming - > 覺å¦â¢Ã§Â²Â¾Ã¦ËŽ <chan.jmjm@> wrote: > > > > Hi Bill, > > > > Sorry to admit that I have not read any English book about Zen. > > > > Please send me something. > > > > Thank you, > > JM > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
