Today we'll look at case number 86 from the Blue Cliff record. This one, this case is called Umman's, Yunman's Kitchen Pantry and Main Gate. I think I may have talked about this before. In the introduction to the case, Master Mumon says, he holds the world fast without the slightest leak. He cuts off the myriad flows without keeping a drop. Open your mouth and you're wrong. Hesitate in thought and you miss. But tell me, what is the barrier penetrating eye? To test, I cite this to see. And the main case, Master U Mon imparted some words saying, everyone has a light.

[01:11]

When you look at it, you don't see it and it's dark and dim. What is everybody's light? He himself answered on their behalf. the kitchen pantry and the main gate. He also said, a good thing isn't as good as no thing. This translation is a little bit stiff, but Master Uman, Master Umong was a disciple of Setjo, and Setjo was a disciple of Dasan. Last week I talked about Dasan. Dasan was the one who was enlightened by Lungtan.

[02:17]

when Lungtang blew out the light. Master, well, when Dushan, of course, was a scholar and he gave lectures on the Diamond Sutra, and carried around commentaries on the Diamond Sutra in baskets on his shoulders. And he was angered by the fact that there were these Zen masters who were teaching outside the scripture. So he set himself a goal of destroying the Zen sect So when he got to, he set out on the road, and he got to this old, he came upon this woman, an elderly lady, who was selling tea cakes by the side of the road.

[03:32]

And so they got to talking, and she asked him what he had in his pocket. the basket. And he said, well, those are my commentaries on the Diamond Sutra. And he told her about how he was very famous as a lecturer on the Diamond Sutra. And she said, well, I know that you want some of these cakes. These cakes were called mind refreshers. The name, tea cake, means mind refresher. I know that you want some of these mind refreshers. She said, I'll tell you what, I have a question. And if you can answer my question, I'll give you some of these mind refreshers. And he said, OK, what's your question? She said, well, in the Diamond Sutra, as I understand it, it says present mind

[04:40]

past mind and future mind cannot be grasped. With what mind will you eat these mind refreshers?" And he was stumped and humiliated because he had no answer. And she said, if you want to visit a Zen master, lungtan, lives up on the mountain here. Why don't you go see him?" He said, okay. So he went up to visit Lung Tan on the mountain. Lung Tan, name of Lung Tan means, Lung is dragon. Tan is like abyss or some translation says pond, another says abyss. I think abyss is nice. Dragon, abyss. So when he came up to Lungtan, Daishan said, you're Lungtan?

[05:45]

This little old man didn't look very impressive. And he says, I don't see a dragon or an abyss. And Lungtan said, well, what you see is Lungtan. And so they got to talking. and they talked all night long and Lungtan actually impressed Dasan very much and in the course of their conversation Dasan's mind started to turn around but it got late at night and Dashaan said, I mean, Lungtan said, well, why don't you spend the night? It's late and dark. And Dashaan said, OK. So he said, Lungtan said, I have a little hut outside where you can stay.

[06:51]

So it was getting very dark. And Lungtan lit a paper lantern, a light. It's like a little torch made out of paper. and handed it to Dasan. And as soon as Dasan received the paper lantern, Lungtan blew it out. And everything was in utter darkness. And in this utter darkness, Dasan's mind became illuminated. And later on, the next day, Dashaan burned all of his commentaries of the Diamond Sutra in front of the assembly. This is a radical thing to do and I don't recommend it. So Dashaan

[07:59]

was the teacher of Sepo, and Sepo was the teacher of Uman, who were speaking here. But it's interesting, they're all concerned with this light. Light seems to be a figure in their koans. And Dasan and Lungtan, that little story, appears as a koan in the Mumonkan. So Master Unmon, who was Sampo's disciple, who was Darshan's disciple, imparted some words saying, everyone has a light, or everyone has their own light. When you look for it, look at it, or try to look for it, try to seek it, you don't see it, and it's dark and dim. What is everybody's light?

[09:02]

And nobody could answer. Nobody could say anything. So later on he said, the kitchen pantry and the main gate. And he also said, a good thing isn't as good as no thing. Or it may be better not to say anything at all, even though you may say something good. Even though you may say something really to the point, it may be better not to say anything at all. And then, I want to read you Master Mumon's commentary on this case. He says, in his room, Mumon imparted some words to teach people.

[10:11]

All of you, he said, right where you stand, each and every one of you has a beam of light shining continuously, now as of old, far removed from seeing or knowing. This beam of light is, although it's continually shining, as of old, before birth and death, it's like what was your original face before you were born and after you die. This beam of light shining continuously now as of old, far removed from seeing or knowing, In other words, whether you know it or not, or whether you see it or not, or even if you have some idea, what does it look like? What is it? Though it's a light, when you're asked about it, you don't understand.

[11:14]

Isn't it dark and dim? For 20 years, he handed down this lesson. but there was never anyone who understood his meaning. Later, Xiang Lin asked Oum Mon to speak on their behalf. And Oum Mon said, the kitchen pantry and the main gate. He also said, a good thing may not be as good as no thing. Usually, what he said in place of others was just a single sentence. U Mon was known for his one-liners. Why then are there two here? Why do you say two things? The first sentence barely opens up a road to let you see. If you're for real, as soon as you hear it mentioned, you get right up and go.

[12:17]

U Mon feared people would get stuck here. So he also said, a good thing is not necessarily as good as no thing. As before, he swept it away for you. He said, don't get hung up on this. Don't get attached to the words. Don't think because you understood what I said that you know what I mean. As soon as they hear you mention light, people these days immediately put a glare in their eyes and say, where is the kitchen pantry? Where is the main gate? But this has nothing to do with it. Thus it is said, perceive the meaning on the hook. Don't abide by the zero point of the scale. This matter is not in the eye or in the environment. To begin to understand, you must cut off knowing and seeing, forget gain and loss, and become purified, naked and perfectly at ease.

[13:31]

Each and every one must investigate on their own. U Mon said, you come and go by daylight. You distinguish people by daylight. Suddenly it's midnight and there's no sun, moon, or lamplight. If it's some place you've been to, then of course it's possible. In a place you've never been, can you even manage to get a hold of something? And then he talks about Sekito's Sando Kai, which he calls the merging of difference and sameness. And he uses this passage in the Sandokai as an example. Right within light, there's darkness, but don't see it as darkness. Right within darkness, there's light, but don't meet it as light. This is Tom Cleary's translation. Our translation is a little bit different. We say, don't get caught by that light.

[14:32]

If you cut off light and darkness, tell me, what is it? Thus it is said, the mind flower emits light, shining on all the lands in the ten directions. Panchan said, light isn't shining on objects, nor do the objects exist. Light and objects, both forgotten. Then, what is this? Also it is said, this very seeing and hearing is not seeing and hearing. But there's no other sound and form that can be offered to you. Here, if you can understand that there's nothing at all, you are free to separate or not. Essence and action. Just understand U Mon's final statement thoroughly, then you can go back to the former one to roam at play. But ultimately, you did not make a living there.

[15:39]

The ancient Vimalakirti said, all things are established on a non-abiding basis. You mustn't go here to play with lights and shadows and give play to your spirit, nor will it do to make up an understanding in terms of nothingness. An ancient said, better you should give rise to a view of existence as big as Mount Sumeru than that you should produce a view of nothingness as small as a mustard seed. People of the lesser two vehicles often fall one-sidedly into this view. Coming back to Sekito's Sandokai, he says, right within light there's darkness, but don't see it as darkness. Right within darkness there's light, but don't meet it as light. Light and dark represent two sides of our existence.

[16:54]

The dark side is where there are no distinctions, the absolute side of our nature. which is like two sides of a coin, as Suzuki Roshi always said. Two sides of a coin. The absolute dark side and the relative light side. In the light, when light is shown, is when things are illuminated with light, then all forms become distinct. And when the light is shut off, everything becomes one. So this is like alternation of light and dark. But the light that Master Umbon is talking about is not the light of light and dark, not the opposites of dark and light.

[18:09]

This light is the light which includes both dark and light. And it's like talking about life and death in the same way. We say life is light and death is darkness. That's our way that we think about life and death. In a dualistic sense, there's light and dark, and light illuminates and dark takes everything away. So we talk about when Master Setso warns us at the end of this commentary not to fall into this kind of distinction.

[19:20]

He says it's better, maybe better to dream about reality as Mount Sumeru than to think about it as annihilation. as reality. Neither one is real, neither one is true. There's only the alternation of dark and light. If you go into a room, When you're standing in the bright sunlight and you walk into a room, when you go into the bathroom, it looks very dark. But if you're hiding in a cave and somebody walks into the room, it looks very dark.

[20:35]

But to you, who's been in the cave looks very light. Everything is very clear. So how we see things is just through alternation of light and dark, which is in our own mind. to a blind person, their light exists in the darkness. So, Sekito says, within darkness there is light, and within light there is darkness. It's like the foot before and the foot behind in walking. One alternates with the other, and you can't say always which is which.

[21:40]

If you start to think about it, you get confused. But when you just walk, everything takes its place as it should, sometimes revealed and sometimes hidden, sometimes light, sometimes dark. I'll read this commentary again. Setcho, who was the commentator, says, just understand U Mon's final statement thoroughly, then you can go back to the former one to Roman play. But ultimately, you do not make a living there. The ancient Vimalakirti said, all things are established on a non-abiding basis. You mustn't go here to play with lights and shadows and give play to your spirit.

[22:47]

Nor will it do to make up an understanding in terms of nothingness." When he says, you mustn't go here to play with lights and shadows and give play to your spirit, has the meaning of seeking instant gratification because after this world there's nothing. Nor will it do to make up an understanding in terms of nothingness, meaning there's no meaning in life because after this there's nothingness. An ancient said, better to give rise to a view of existence as big as Mount Sumeru than that you should produce a view of nothingness as small as a mustard seed. Both views, existence and nothingness, are two sides of the duality that we can't figure out.

[23:59]

People of the lesser two vehicles often fall one-sidedly into this view. He's talking about Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, which is the usual way that the Mahayana views dualistic views in Buddhism. They're attributed to the Shravakas and the Pratyekabuddhas, who try to divide the dark side from the light side, who make a fundamental distinction between dark and light. and don't realize that dark and light are two sides of one being, two expressions of one being, and that they belong to each other. So U Mon imparted some words saying, everyone has a light. When you look at it, you don't see it, and it's dark and dim.

[25:04]

What is everybody's light? When we practice Zazen, this is the light of the dark side, where all distinctions tumble. In Zazen, there's no right and wrong, good and bad, like and dislike. There's no preference, hopefully, even though these things do exist in Zazen. Ultimately, when we sit, we let go of all distinctions. All dualities merge into one. This is

[26:06]

The oneness of duality. The oneness of duality is the dark side, where things don't stand up. Nothing stands up. everything gets knocked over. And when we have free play in the world, where everything is revealed in its individuality, this is the duality of oneness. The light side or the illumination of the darkness.

[27:16]

That's where we give free play to our activity, the duality at oneness. So we don't prefer the light side or the dark side. It's not that the light side is good and the dark side is bad, or that the dark side is good or the light side is bad. Light and dark belong to each other. They're like two arrows meeting in midair, or like a box and its lid, or like the foot before and the foot behind and walking. So this light that Master Oonmon is talking about is the light beyond the duality of dark and light.

[28:21]

And it has no special form or color, but it's expressed through forms and colors. If you try to see it as light, you miss it. This is why when we try to grasp enlightenment, it doesn't have any special characteristics. That's why Master U Mon says, the temple gate and pantry And that's why Master Dogen says, enlightenment is practice. Practice is enlightenment. Light comes forth through practice.

[29:26]

Practice is because of light. And you can't really say which comes first, or which is the cause and which is the result. Practice begets light and light begets practice. Zazen is light and light is zazen. And Light is darkness, and darkness is light. This is not a contradiction. It's just a dissolution of the duality.

[30:29]

Like when Lungtan blew out the candle, or blew out the light, And Dushan was completely immersed in utter darkness. So this light is not like a light that travels with the speed of light. 82,000 miles a second, something. How much? 186,000. 186,000 miles a second. This light doesn't come or go. It's not like the light of the sun. It doesn't travel or come or go. It's just is. And all we have to do is manifest it.

[31:42]

People say, and this was Dogen's great question, if everyone has this light, if this light is all-pervading, why do we have to do something? And that's also everybody's big question. Why do something? Why sits us in if this light is omnipresent? But even though it's present, unless we do something, it doesn't manifest as light. We can say, does a lazy person have this light? Yes, but a lazy person is not aware of this light.

[32:49]

It's not real-ized or actual-ized. It's just a dream. It's easy for us to realize that light illuminates things. It's very easy for us to see the light side, but very difficult to know the dark side of light. It's very easy for us to understand the duality of oneness. We play in the duality of oneness, but it's very difficult for us to realize the oneness of duality. It's very easy for us to realize the light side of darkness, but it's very difficult for us to realize the dark side of lightness.

[34:01]

So it seems, it can seem like we sit zazen in order to realize the dark side of oneness, or lightness. But actually, we sit just to express our nature, not to gain something. Because of our nature, we sit zazen and practice. It's not in order to gain something that we do it. And if we understand this point, we have some realization. It's not that we sit to gain realization, but because of our realization that we practice.

[35:54]

We may be angry at someone. We may have, it's pretty hard, you know, to get beyond anger and ill will and delusion and greed. But on the bright side, when things are illuminated, We make distinctions through like and dislike, anger and good feelings. But when we understand a dark side, even though we may be angry, we have a deeper understanding of someone.

[37:22]

If we don't have this deeper understanding of someone who we're angry with, then we just get stuck or caught in the light side, bright side. Stuck with our anger, stuck with our ill will, stuck with our idea about someone. But in bright side, in the dark side, Because we are immersed in the dark side, those distinctions of anger and ill will or love don't hold. Because ultimately, things don't exist. But neither are they annihilated.

[38:27]

They don't really exist, and they're not really annihilated. And this flow, this dark and light, which birth and death, which is continually manifesting, appearing and disappearing. This flow is what we call our life. But our life is much more than just what is appearing on this moment. Just what rears its head on this moment. More than just what we see in our small view.

[39:39]

Maybe it's like an iceberg. Iceberg, mostly underwater. and a little bit sticking out on top. And this little bit sticking out on top is where we run around and have our life and have our love and our anger and our good times and bad times and our quandaries. But underneath, big darkness, deep darkness, which is the foundation of this light side of our life. Anyway, it's a wonderful mystery for us to ponder the light and the dark. So Master Umong said, everyone has a light.

[40:50]

When you look at it, you don't see it, and it's dark and dim. What is everybody's light? And then he leaned forward and said, the kitchen pantry and the main gate. And he also said, a good thing isn't necessarily as good as no thing. I think I'll stop there.

[41:17]

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