Cloud Hands: Arguments

Showing posts with label Arguments. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

The Dumpling Discourse

The Fireplace Records, Chapter 44

The Dumpling Discourse

It was a hot day in July when Carol and Adolf met in a tea shop in Portland. They sipped iced tea and chatted about Taoism for an hour.

Adolf asked Carol, "What is beyond the Tao?" Carol answered, "Either the Dark Void or preparing hot oatmeal."

Adolf sarcastically replied, "Yunmen is direct, he says '"Dumplings.' You are caught in either/or, dualisms, and straying from the spot!" Carol said "Purported Zen Masters seldom cook."

Adolf raised his right hand, like Gutei, and gave Carol the middle finger. Carol slapped the finger of his right hand.

Adolf got up and went to the toilet. While urinating, like Master Omori Sogen, he was suddenly awakened. While he was away, Carol left for home.

She worked in her home garden. She weeded and watered. She picked two squash. Like the Tao, she grew living beings. She went indoors and cooked some hot oatmeal. She added raisins to the mush. She ate. She smiled. Her dark blue bowl was then empty. She was ordinary and clear mined.

Comments, Sources, Observations, Koans, Poems, Quips:

Omori Sogen, "Introduction to Zen Training" Tuttle, 2001,2020.

"What is talk transcending the Buddhas and Patriarchs?", Yunmen's translated answers "Sesame Cakes", "Rice cakes", "Dumplings."
See BOS 78, ZE 42, ENT 88, WWSF 348, BCR 77

Gutei's One Finger Zen
BCR 19, BOS 84, DSMS 245, GB 30, SOH 21

If the answer can be 'the oak tree in the courtyard,' then the answer can be 'eating oatmeal with raisins.'

Irrelevant answers are a staple spontaniety of Zen tricksters.

Some say nonsensical Zen Koan answers are free and natural poety; however, they are often just bad poetry.

Which finger was the "one finger?"

People are Makers, Imitating the Dao - The Great Maker, Doer, Creator. Sometimes even seeming to go Beyond the Dao.

636 Riddles, Jokes, Witticisms, Humor

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Stories.

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Zen Buddhist Koans: Indexes, Bibliography, Commentary, Information

The Daodejing by Laozi

Pulling Onions Over 1,043 One-line Sayings, Quips, Maxims, Humor

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

The Fireplace Records (Blog Version) By Michael P. Garofalo

The Spirit of Gardening

Saturday, July 13, 2024

Chapter 69, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 69

"The generals have a saying:
"Rather than make the first move
it is better to wait and see.
Rather than advance an inch
it is better to retreat a yard."
This is called
going forward without advancing,
pushing back without using weapons.
There is no greater misfortune
than underestimating your enemy.
Underestimating your enemy
means thinking that he is evil.
Thus you destroy your three treasures
and become an enemy yourself.
When two great forces oppose each other,
the victory will go
to the one that knows how to yield."
- Translated by Stephen Mitchell, 1988, Chapter 69

"In conflict just be cautious
And always on your guard
Rather than advance an inch
Instead retreat a yard

In this way you go along
And make your gain without advancing
You deal with the rival
As your position is enhancing

Remember that it's possible
Your rival just may yield
So don't advance on such a foe
Let differences be healed"
- Translated by Jim Clatfelder, 2000, Chapter 69

"An ancient tactician has said:
'I dare not act as a host, but would rather act as a guest;
I dare not advance an inch, but would rather retreat a foot.'
This implies that he does not marshal the ranks as if there were no ranks;
He does not roll up his sleeves as if he had no arms;
He does not seize as if he had no weapons;
He does not fight as if there were no enemies.
No calamity is greater than under-estimating the enemy.
To under-estimate the enemy is to be on the point of losing our treasure.
Therefore, when opposing armies meet in the field the truthful will win."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 69

"From using force a saying emerges: I dare not act like a ruler, but instead I must act like a guest.
Do not venture an inch when you can withdraw a foot.
This is called progress without progressing.

Seize without seizing.
Apply force to no opponent.
Manage without weapons.

There is no greater calamity than disregarding the enemy.
Disregarding your enemy brings you close to the death of what you treasure.

When two armies meet and inspect each other, grieve for the winner!"
- Translated by Alan Sheets and Barbara Tovey, 2002, Chapter 69

"A military expert has said:
'I do not dare put myself forward as a host, but always act as a guest. I hesitate to advance an inch, but am willing to withdraw a foot.'
This is advancing by not advancing, it is winning without arms, it is charging without hostility, it is seizing without weapons.
There is no mistake greater than making light of an enemy.
By making light of an enemy we lose our treasure.
Therefore when well-matched armies come to conflict, the one who is conscious of his weakness conquers."
- Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 69

用兵有言:
"吾不敢為主而為客.
不敢進寸而退尺."
是謂行無行,
攘無臂扔無敵,
執無兵.
禍莫大於輕敵,
輕敵幾喪吾寶.
故抗兵相加,
哀者勝矣.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 69

yung pin yu yen:
"wu pu kan wei chu erh wei k'o,
pu kan chin ts'un erh t'ui ch'ih."
shih wei hsing wu hsing,
jang wu pi jêng wu ti,
chih wu ping.
huo mo ta yü ch'ing ti,
ch'ing ti chi sang wu pao.
ku k'ang ping hsiang chia,
ai chê shêng yi.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 69

"The handbook of the strategist has said:
'Do not invite the fight, accept it instead,'
'Better a foot behind than an inch too far ahead,'
Which means:
Look a man straight in the face and make no move,
Roll up your sleeve and clench no fist,
Open your hand and show no weapon,
Bare your breast and find no foe.
But as long as there be a foe, value him,
Respect him, measure him, be humble toward him;
Let him not strip from you, however strong he be,
Compassion, the one wealth which can afford him."
- Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 69

"On military operations we have:
"I do not boldly attack others first,
But take action only after being attacked."
"I do not boldly move forward even an inch,
But withdraw a foot."
This is called the operation of non-operation,
Bearing the arms of non-arms,
Charging the enemy of non-enemy,
Carrying the weapons of non-weapons.
There is no more serious misfortune
Than to engage in war lightly.
To engage in war lightly is to violate my essential teachings of compassion,
renunciation, and never longing to be first in the world.
Therefore, when two armies join in battle,
The one that is compassionate wins."
- Translated by Chang Chung-Yuan, Chapter 69

"Existe un dicho entre los soldados:
“No me atrevo a hacer el primer movimiento;
preferiría ser el huésped.
No me atrevo avanzar una pulgada; más bien
preferiría retroceder un pie.”

Esto es avanzar sin aparentar moverse;
capturar el enemigo sin atacar;
estar armado sin armas.

No existe mayor catástrofe que desestimar al enemigo.
por desestimar al enemigo casi pierdo lo que valoro:
por lo mismo, cuando la batalla se libra,
el más débil vencerá."
- Translated by Cristina Bosch, 2002, Capítulo 69