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Een Aantal Koans Uit De Verhalen Van De Blauwe Klif Verzameling

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Een Aantal Koans Uit De Verhalen Van De Blauwe Klif Verzameling Een selectie uit de ‘Blauwe Klif verzameling’ Inleiding 1. 1 De hoogste betekenis van de heilige waarheden 2. 2 De ultieme weg is zonder moeilijkheden 3. 3 Meester Ma is ziek 4. 4 Te Shan draagt zijn bundel 5. 6 Yun Men ’s “Elke dag is een goede dag” 6. 7 Hui Chao vraagt over Boeddha 7. 11 Huang Po’s “Drab slurpers” 8. 12 Tung Shan ’s “Drie pond vlas” 9. 13 Pa Ling ‘s “Sneeuw in een zilveren schaal” 10. 14 Yun Men ’s “Passende boodschap” 11. 15 Yun Men ‘s “Omgekeerde boodschap” 12. 20 Lung Ya ’s “Betekenis van de komst uit het Westen” 13. 22 Hsueh Feng ’s “Schildpad-neus slang” 14. 24 Kuei Shan en IJzeren Molensteen Liu 15. 27 Yun Men 's “Lichaam blootgesteld, de gouden wind” 16. 28 Nan Ch’uan ’s “Waarheid die nooit uitgesproken is” 17. 29 Ta Sui ’s “Het gaat samen met de anderen” 18. 32 Ouderling Ting staat onbeweeglijk 19. 35 De dialoog tussen Manjusri en Wu Cho 20. 39 Yun Men ’s “Bloemen haag” 21. 40 Nan Ch’uan ’s “Het is als een droom” 22. 41 Chao Chou ’s “Man die de Grote Dood gestorven heeft” 23. 42 De Leek Pang ’s “Goede sneeuwvlokken.” 24. 43 Tung Shan’s “Koud noch Warm” 25. 44 Ho Shan ’s “Weten hoe de trom te slaan” 26. 45 Chao Chou ’s “Zeven Pond Voddenhemd” 27. 51 Hsueh Feng ’s “Wat is het?” 28. 53 Pai Chang ’s “Wilde Eenden” 29. 57 Chao Chou ’s “Domme kluns” 30. 58 Chao Chou kan het niet uitleggen 31. 59 Chao Chou ’s “Waarom het niet volledig citeren?” 32. 60 Yun Men ’s staf verandert in een draak 33. 61 Feng Hsueh ’s “Eén spikkeltje stof” 34. 62 Yun Men ’s “Daarbinnen is een juweel” 35. 63 Nan Ch’uan doodt een kat 36. 64 Nan Ch’uan bevraagt Chao Chou 37. 69 Nan Ch’uan ‘s cirkel 38. 72 Pai Chang bevraagt Yun Yen 39. 73 Ma Tsu ’s ‘Verwisseling van bevestiging en ontkenning’ 40. 77 Yun Men ’s “Cake” 41. 80 Chao Chou’s “Nieuw geboren baby” 42. 82 Ta Lung ’s “Puur en standvastig lichaam van de werkelijkheid” 43. 84 Vimalakirti ’s ‘Poort van geen-dualiteit ‘ 44. 86 Yun Men ’s “De provisiekast in de keuken en de hoofdpoort” 45. 89 De handen en ogen van de Bodhisattva van het Grote Mededogen 46. 95 Ch’ang Ch’ing ’s “Drie soorten gif” 47. 96 Chao Chou’s “Drie keerwoorden” 1 Tom Jumelet – Augustus 2021 Inleiding – Hoe oneindig is het pad van ontwaken - Wat je ook doet, het werkt niet. Wat ga je doen? “Wat is voor een Bodhisattva de ingang door de Dharma poort van geen-dualiteit?” Eerste regel koan 84 Een oude zei, “”Als je vertrouwelijk begrip wil krijgen, gebruik dan geen vraag om een vraag te stellen. Waarom? Omdat het antwoord is waar de vraag is.” Waar vind je Ch’an of Tao dat aan jou gegeven kan worden? Commentaar bij koan 15 Oude Pang staat morgens op, de leegte weergalmt. Oude Pang wast zich, de leegte weergalmt. Oude Pang danst naar buiten, de leegte weergalmt. Bijlage bij koan 42 Als je het niet ziet, wees dan op je hoede om niet, tevergeefs, intellectuele interpretaties te produceren. Commentaar bij koan 4 Deze bundel bevat 47 koan’s uit de ‘Py Yen Lu’, de Blauwe Klif verzameling, vertaald vanuit de Engelse vertaling, The Blue Cliff Record, van de gebroeders Clearly uit 1977. De Blauwe Klif, gepubliceerd in 1128 is een verzameling van 100 koan’s (kung an – publieke zaak) met uitspraken, anekdotes of gebeurtenissen uit de Ch’an overleveringen, verzameld door Hsueh Tou (980-1052), die bij elke zaak een gedicht schreef. Yuan Wu (1063-1135) gebruikte deze verzameling voor toespraken aan zijn leerlingen, met een aanwijzing, aantekeningen en commentaar bij de publieke zaak en het gedicht. Deze toespraken werden op schrift gesteld en uitgegeven als de Blauwe Klif verzameling. De opvolger van Yuan Wu, Ta Hui, heeft rond 1140 de houten blokken waarmee de Blauwe Klif werd gedrukt laten verbranden, omdat ze te populair werd bij de studenten. Jaren later bleken er toch exemplaren overgebleven te zijn en werd de Blauwe Klif weer verder verspreid. De Blauwe Klif, de Cóngróng lù ( Het boek van de sereniteit) uit 1224 en de Wumonkan (Poortloze Poort) uit 1228, vormen de drie klassieke Chinese koan verzamelingen. Een monnik vroeg aan Tung Shan, “Wanneer koude en warmte komen, hoe kunnen we die vermijden?” Shan zei, “Waarom ga je niet naar de plek waar koude noch warmte is?” De monnik vroeg, “Wat is de plek waar koude noch warmte is?” Tung Shan zei, “Wanneer het koud is, doodt de koude je; wanneer het warm is, doodt de warmte je.” koan 43 2 Tom Jumelet – Augustus 2021 Waar, wat is de plek waar koude noch warmte is?, daar kan je heel lang mee worstelen. Eén van de contradicties in Ch’an is dat woorden gebruikt worden om voorbij de woorden te komen. De Lin Chi (J:Rinzai) stroming binnen Zen ontwikkelde een methode om met zo weinig mogelijk woorden door woord en gebaar op een zin of een enkel woord, dat dan weer wel, te mediteren, te worstelen om tot inzicht te komen, door te breken, en dat dan te laten zien aan je leraar die dat dan al dan niet goedkeurt zodat je met de volgende koan verder kan gaan. De andere overgebleven stroming, de Caodong (J:Sōtō), legt sterk de nadruk op mediteren, al worden daar, in navolging van Dogen, wel degelijk koan’s gebruikt om de meditatie te verdiepen en open te breken, maar dan meer als tekst. Feit blijft dat in de contradictie van het vermijden van woorden, zeer veel woorden geschreven zijn, en in geval van de Blauwe Klif prachtige literatuur hebben opgeleverd die je kan helpen om in je meditatie en dagelijks leven voorbij de woorden te komen. Nadat ik jaren bij een verschillende Zen leraren koan studie volgens de Lin Chi stroming had beoefend, ging ik op aanraden van Ton Lathouwers zwerven door de koan’s, om uit te vinden wat bepaalde passages bij me zouden losmaken, de dialoog aan te gaan en proberen dieper weg te zaken in mijn innerlijke stilte, de poortloze poort te doordringen, en daarvan verslag te doen, als basis voor een onderling gesprek. Ik begon met de ‘de Poortloze Poort’ verzameling en vervolgens verdronk ik in de Blauwe Klif verhalen. Die ‘vroegen’ om een intensievere kennismaking door ze te vertalen en er zo dieper in weg te zinken. Ik vond in deze teksten een speelse, tegendraadse sfeer, die zich goed leek te combineren met de Hisamatsu ‘moderne Japanse zen’ strengheid, zo prachtig verwoord in zijn gelofte aan de mensheid: Ik ervaar bij het (her)lezen en vertalen van deze verhalen dat onzekerheid en twijfel verdwijnen en weer terug keren, op een andere manier. Niet een klassieke ‘oplossing’ vinden die bestaat uit een woord of gebaar waardoor je je ‘doorbraak’ kunt laten zien, goedgekeurd door je leraar, al is de waarde daarvan, om los te laten en om te keren, evident. Beide methodes zijn wegen naar hetzelfde doel, loslaten en je laten vallen in de stilte, de leegte Door herhaaldelijk tekst (gedeeltes) te herkauwen, mee te nemen in je meditatie, kan er iets in jezelf los breken waardoor je voorbij de woorden en beelden kan gaan. Wat soms tot een doorbraak, klein of groot, leidt en een ommekeer kan forceren. En soms verdwijn je in de stilte, waardoor er iets verandert. Welke methode je ook ligt, essentie is de paradox van het eenzaam de diepe stilte in te gaan en bij gelegenheid proberen daarover te communiceren, door woorden, gebaar of stilte, met een ander, hoe moeizaam en schier onmogelijk dat ook lijkt. Waardoor je, als het ware, de barrière tussen het relatieve en het absolute overstijgt, de poort van de non dualiteit binnen gaat waar koan 84 dieper op in gaat. 3 Tom Jumelet – Augustus 2021 In deze koan’s wordt op alle mogelijke manieren gezocht naar een doorbraak in de schijnbaar eeuwige cyclus van leven/dood. Al dan niet daartoe aangezet door een leraar, die ontregelt met een woord, door te zwijgen of een klap met zijn stok te geven. Waarbij altijd onderstreept wordt dat je het zelf moet doen. ‘Wat ga je doen?’ met al die onzekerheid en tegenstrijdige mogelijkheden, welke stap zet je? Wat zie je? Te midden van die paradoxen, onzekerheid, barrières, valkuilen, twijfel en wat al niet meer je op je pad tegenkomt. En telkens word je voorgehouden voorbij de woorden te gaan, je intellectuele concepten in je hoofd los te laten, alles los te laten, om dan met open ogen te leren zien. ‘Laat ons met mededogen de gelofte uitspreken om te ontwaken tot ons ware zelf, en mensen worden vol van mede dogen, zonder onderscheid naar man of vrouw zijn, zonder onderscheid naar ras, natie of klasse.’’ uit de gelofte aan de mensheid van Hisamatsu, koppelt ontwaken aan hoe je in het dagelijkse leven staat . Ik vind in de verhalen van de Blauwe Klif bemoedigingen en aansporingen om dichterbij die regels van de gelofte aan de mensheid te komen. Over de stap vanaf de top van de paal, na de vijftiende dag, of hoe ze het ook beschrijven. Terug naar de markt. Ontwaken tot ons zelf, oorspronkelijk gelaat, het eeuwig nu en het oneindige hier. Maar hoe? De stilte ingaan door te zitten? Wachten op een doorbraak door de poortloze poort. Eén woorden met je koan, één worden met Mu, de cypresboom in de tuin, drie pond vlas, door éen brok twijfel te worden.
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