Seeing Through the Eyes of Another

Dharma Discourse by John Daido Loori, Roshi
Koans of the Way of Reality
Dizang's “Two Fingers ”

Featured in Mountain Record 26.2, Winter 2007

The Main Case

Xiushan, having returned from a pilgrimage, asked Master Dizang, “There’s an unresolved matter that I have, so I’m not willing to go traveling through the mountains and rivers until it’s resolved.”
Dizang said, “It’s not bad that you travel to many mountains and rivers.” But Xiushan didn’t understand Dizang’s meaning.
Dizang then asked, “Are the mountains, rivers and the earth identical or separate from you?”
Xiushan said, “Separate.”
Dizang held up two fingers.
Xiushan hurriedly said, “Identical, identical.”
Dizang again held up two fingers.
For a time, Xiushan was lost in thought and then he said, “I don’t know whether mountains, rivers and the earth are identical or separate from me.”
Dizang said, “What is it you’re calling mountains, rivers, and the earth?”
Xiushan thereupon attained enlightenment.

The Commentary

Xiushan was a member of a party of four adepts on a pilgrimage. Because of a snowstorm they
took shelter at Dizang’s temple. Shortly after they departed, Xiushan returned alone, unwilling
to travel the mountains and rivers until he had resolved his question. When he expressed this
to Dizang, the master said, “It’s not bad that you travel to many mountains and rivers.” Tell me,
what was he saying?

Since Xiushan didn’t understand Dizang’s meaning, the old master cut to the quick, asking,
“Are the mountains, rivers and the earth identical or separate from you?”

Master Dogen once said, “What different types of beings see is different and we should reflect
on this fact. Is it that there are various ways of seeing one object or is it that we have mistaken
various images for one object?”

Xiushan said, “Separate.” Dizang held up two fingers. Clearly the old man was trying to show
him something. So Xiushan quickly jumped to the other side. “Identical, identical,” he said.
Again Dizang held up two fingers. Do you understand? If you do, say a word on behalf of Xiushan.
An old man once said, “Communication with the source is one’s own practice. Communication
by speech is the ability to show others.”

Xiushan became quiet. He disappeared into the depth of the great doubt and then after a while he said, “I don’t know whether mountains, rivers and the earth are identical or separate from me.” At that moment, Master Xiu Mountain disintegrated and in his place, a student appeared—as did limitless possibilities. Dizang moved quickly, saying, “What is it you’re calling mountains, rivers and the earth?” Xiushan at once attained enlightenment.

But say, what did he realize?

The Capping Verse

The sky covers it, the earth supports it.
    Pervading the universe,
      it’s without boundaries.
Arriving at the mysterious subtlety,
    who distinguishes turning
        inward or turning outward?


John Daido Loori, Roshi

This story of Xiushan and Dizang also appears in one of the koans of the Book of Equanimity, though in a slightly different version. It reads:

The master of Xiushan joined with Fayan, Wudong and the master of Jinshan, to travel beyond the lake region (of east central China). Coming to Zhang province, they were blocked by rain, snow and swollen valley streams. They put up at Dizang temple west of the city. There they encircled the brazier and ignored master Dizang. Dizang wanted to test them, so he also drew near the fire and said, “There’s something I would ask about; may I?” Xiushan said, “If there’s some matter, please ask.” Dizang said, “Are the mountains, rivers and earth identical or separate from you elders?” Xiushan said, “Separate.” Dizang held up two fingers; Xiushan hurriedly said, “Identical! Identical!” Dizang held up two fingers, and then left. Fayan said, “What was the meaning of the abbot holding up two fingers?” Xiushan said, “He did that arbitrarily.” Fayan said, “Don’t crudely insult him.” Xiushan said, “Are there any elephant tusks in a rat’s mouth?”
The next day they took leave and departed; first they went to the house. Fayan said, “You brothers go ahead; I’ll stay with Dizang—he may have some strong point. If not, I’ll come to find you.” After Fayan had studied there for a long time, the other three, including Xiushan, also came back to Dizang.

In this koan Xiushan returned alone to Dizang. When he expressed his doubt to the master, the latter said, “It’s not bad that you travel to many mountains and rivers.” In order to understand Dizang’s statement we need first to understand how “mountains and rivers” are used in Zen literature. They are, of course, the physical mountains and rivers as we know them. But they’re also considered the ups and downs of life. In the Mountains and Rivers Sutra, Dogen uses them to refer to form and emptiness. So what is Dizang saying when he says, “It’s not bad that you travel to many mountains and rivers”?

I myself spend quite a bit of time traveling back and forth between the Adirondacks and the
Catskill mountains. When I go to the Adirondacks, I marvel at how beautiful it is there. And every time I return here to the Catskills, I again marvel at how beautiful this place is, this place that we call home. In some ways the two areas are similar, yet they also have different terrains, so going back and forth between them shifts my way of seeing, my way of experiencing and feeling things. I think that’s an important aspect of pilgrimages—a change of environment to allow us to see life in a fresh way.

The Adirondacks, as you probably know, was the first park in the world to be designated as a forest preserve. This, in and of itself, is extraordinary. Thanks to a number of farsighted people back at the turn of the 19th century—many of them artists, some of them very powerful business people—the Adirondack Park was protected to remain “forever wild.” This first incident then set a precedent that led to the National Park Service, and it sparked the emergence of wilderness preserves in Europe and other parts of the world.

You would think then, that because the Adirondacks is a state preserve, it is free from development. Not so. On one of my trips I found out that the fellow who operates a moonlight cruise business on Raquette Lake has been trying to open up the old route that the steamboat used over a hundred years ago between Blue Mountain, Eagle, Ottawana and Raquette Lakes. He bought hundreds of acres of land and is pushing to open up the channels again, which would effectively get rid of the ponds, falls, etc. that have formed over time. And all of this just so that he can expand his moonlight cruise business. If he’s successful, he will effectively change the face of one of the most beautiful lakes in the Adirondacks. What should we do about it?

This seems like a trivial event, the kind of thing that happens all the time all over the world. But this is exactly the kind of thing we need to consider in our practice. Our practice is not just about the backwards step, zazen. It’s also about taking the forward step of right action. One of the ways of practicing the precepts, the moral and ethical teachings of Buddhism, is to do something. Do something for someone else. Do something for the earth. Do something for the world. It doesn’t matter how small it is or how seemingly insignificant it is. It’s important that we do it, that we take that step.

At the time of this koan, people didn’t have problems like we have today in terms of the pollution and exploitation of the earth, the mountains and rivers. There weren’t that many people impacting the environment. But that’s changing rapidly and it’s going to continue to change. We’re part of that change. Don’t forget that the mountains and rivers are our responsibility, not the Department of Environmental Conservation’s, not the government’s, not anyone else’s. The earth belongs to each of us, personally.

Xiushan was unwilling to travel the mountains and rivers until he had resolved the question of life and death. When he expressed this to Dizang, the master said, “It’s not bad that you travel to many mountains and rivers.” He wasn’t simply talking about taking a vacation or having a good time. What is he pointing to? What do the mountains and rivers have to offer?

The commentary reads, “Since Xiushan didn’t understand Dizang’s meaning, the old master cut to the quick, asking, ‘Are the mountains, rivers and the earth identical or separate from you?’ Master Dogen once said, ‘What different types of beings see is different and we should reflect on this fact. Is it that there are various ways of seeing one object or is it that we have mistaken various images for one object?’” We need to keep Dogen’s statement in mind. If we’re going to do anything, we need to see things—these mountains and rivers—through the eyes of another, such as the eyes of a developer, the owner of the moonlight cruise. Otherwise there is no basis for communication, no way to come to any sort of compromise. Most of us want what we want, but sometimes the only way to move forward is through a compromise of some sort.

Photo by M. Manu
photo by M. Manu
Several years ago, former President Clinton advocated for the treatment of AIDS in Africa. He went to several African countries and traveled from village to village, interacting with both villagers and their children. By doing this, he drew the world’s attention to what was happening to the thousands of people there dying of AIDS. He especially brought attention to the fact that treatment was available, but because the pharmaceutical companies had hiked up the prices so much, most of the medicines were too expensive to obtain. On that side of the world, pregnant women, babies, old people and young people died everyday, while on this side of the world the medicine was available—for a price. That is the danger of commodifying food or drugs. Life becomes a commodity as well. In response to this problem, Clinton brokered a deal with the United States government and the pharmaceutical companies so the medicine could be shipped to Africa at a reasonable cost. He offered them a deal that they could not refuse. And people started to be healed.

He continues this work today. We should know that the only way we can make something this extraordinary happen is to acknowledge the fact that what different types of beings see—the government, the pharmaceutical companies—is different, and we should reflect on that fact. What does it mean to see things the way another being sees them? It means to forget the self, to let go of our own perspective. This can be very hard to do, especially when we feel very strongly about our particular point of view. We need to see that the world is large and diverse and that there are many different ways of seeing. To be skillful in working with other people, we need to be able to perceive things the way others perceive them.

When Dizang asked Xiushan, “Are the mountains, rivers and the earth identical or separate from you?” Xiushan said, “Separate.” Dizang held up two fingers. Clearly the old man was trying to show Xiushan something. Xiushan knew this. He immediately jumped to the other side, “Identical, identical.” Beautiful logic: if it’s not separate, then it must be the same. Right? Again, Dizang held up two fingers. Why? Why is identical two and separate two? Do you understand? If you can understand this, you’re inside this koan. If you do understand, the commentary says, “Say a word on behalf of Xiushan.” How would you answer the master’s question?

“An old master once said, ‘Communication with the source is one’s own practice.’” That’s what you do personally. By practicing, you communicate with the source. “‘Communication by speech is the ability to show others.’” That’s your expression of that communication. It’s the ability to show others what you have seen. I hear students say all the time, “I know what it is, but I just can’t express it.” Until you can express it, you have not yet seen it. That’s where it comes to life—through creative expression. It has to become your own.

“Xiushan got quiet. He disappeared into the depth of the great doubt…” Great doubt is the pivotal point of Zen practice. But this kind of doubt is not skepticism, and it’s not superficial doubt either, but a state of perplexity that gives rise to a probing inquiry. It’s a very intense self-questioning. Yasutani Roshi talked about the three pillars, the three essentials of Zen: great faith, Walking - Emilliano Spadogreat doubt, and great perseverance. Great faith is trust—trust in yourself and in the process that you’re engaging. Because of great trust, great doubt becomes powerful. They’re in dynamic equilibrium. You absolutely know that you can realize yourself, but you don’t know how or when you will do it. That’s the cutting edge of practice. Great perseverance is necessary because without it, you would wear out very quickly. “Seven times knocked down, eight times get up.” You’re just going to do it. Nothing’s going to stop you. If it takes five years or a hundred years, you’re going to do it.

After being quiet for a while, Xiushan said, “I don’t know whether mountains, rivers and the earth are identical or separate from me.” A very different kind of person appeared right there. That’s a transformation in itself. Keep in mind that he is the abbot of a monastery, with his own students, as were the other masters mentioned in the Book of Serenity version of the koan. Yet, after this encounter, all four of them returned to Dizang and later succeeded him.

photo by Josh Klute
photo by Josh Klute

Not knowing immediately opens into endless possibilities. When you know, you’re very limited. As Suzuki Roshi says, the beginner’s mind has countless possibilities. The mind of the expert is very small. It shows an unwillingness to really hear anything. The commentary says, “At that moment, Master Xiu Mountain disintegrated and in his place, a student appeared—as did limitless possibilities.” Finally Xiushan could hear what Dizang had to say.

“Dizang moved quickly,” knowing that he needed to strike while the iron was hot. Immediately, he said, “What is it you’re calling mountains, rivers and the earth?” A simple question. He could have asked that question at the beginning of the dialogue, but it would have fallen on deaf ears. At this point, in the midst of the expression of great doubt, “I don’t know,” Xiushan was ready. If you don’t have the mind of inquiry, the mind to probe the depths of your own consciousness and the nature of the universe, you’ll waste your time, you’ll waste your life. “What is it you’re calling mountains, rivers and the earth?” Indeed, indeed. It’s that. It’s me. It’s neither. It’s both. If it’s not any of those, what is it?

How will you protect mountains, rivers and the great earth if you don’t know what they are? How will you save yourself if you don’t know who you are? Who or what are you saving? Who are the sentient beings that we chant about in the Four Bodhisattva Vows? What does it mean to save? With that question, in that state of consciousness, the whole of reality can flash through your mind in an instant. What are you left with? “Xiushan thereupon attained enlightenment.” The final line of the commentary raises the question, “But say, what did he realize?”

The Capping Verse: The sky covers it, the earth supports it. Pervading the universe, it’s without boundaries. What is being indicated in these lines? What is this koan pointing to? What did Xiushan realize? Arriving at the mysterious subtlety, who distinguishes turning inward or turning outward? Is it here? Is it there? Where is it? What is it?

Living where we do—in these beautiful mountains and rivers—carries with it a responsibility. Nobody else is going to worry about what is happening here. Nobody’s even going to notice. If we don’t take care of this place, no one else will. The people in California have their own problems. Minnesota has its own problems. We live here in a beautiful part of the world, along one of the most gorgeous rivers on the face of the earth—the Hudson. Yet it was once so polluted, it didn’t even freeze in the winter. Nothing could live in it. But now it’s been brought back to life, thanks to the courageous efforts of people like Pete Seeger who cared enough to do something about it.

That’s the power of people once they’re conscious. Raising consciousness is one of the most important things we can do. This earth is incredibly precious. The more we understand it, the more we understand who we are, what our life is. That’s when we realize the intimacy that exists between us and the ten thousand things. What happens to the river, what happens to a lake, what happens to people on the other side of the world, happens to each and every one of us. It’s no small thing to realize this truth. And it’s no small thing to act on that realization.

 

Koans of the Way of Reality is a collection of koans compiled at Zen Mountain Monastery over the past twenty-six years. It includes both koans that appear in the traditional collections as well as writings taken from other sources and treated as koans because of their relevance for modern Western practitioners.

John Daido Loori, Roshi is the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery. A successor to Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi, Roshi, Daido Roshi trained in rigorous koan Zen and in the subtle teachings of Master Dogen, and is a lineage holder in the Soto and Rinzai schools of Zen.