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
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
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