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The Koan of Washing the Dishes [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-10-15  

In the Soto Zen mealtime verse, we say, “We accept this food so that we can awaken.” We must be unselfish and at the same time practical. Here are a master and disciple who really got that teaching.

Case 7 Jõshû's "Wash Your Bowl" 七 趙州洗鉢

Zen monk’s formal bowl set—five bowls, chopsticks, spoon, cloth-tipped washing stick.

Mumon wrote

趙州、因僧問、其甲乍入叢林。 A monk said to Jõshû, "I have just entered this monastery. 乞師指示。 Please teach me." 州云、喫粥了也未。 "Have you eaten your rice porridge?" asked Jõshû. 僧云、喫粥了也。 "Yes, I have," replied the monk. 州云、洗鉢盂去。 "Then you had better wash your bowl," said Jõshû. 其僧有省。 With this the monk gained insight.

Let us note, to begin with, that this is nonsense, as stated. Washing the bowls is part of the mealtime ceremony. The monk says that he ate, presumably more than just rice gruel, and he must have already washed his bowls before talking with Joshu. But the koan is not about these literal actions. Joshu is perfectly correct to tell the monk to wash his bowls again.

The main bowl in the set shown above represents the original begging bowl from the time before Chinese monasteries, when monks went begging for food every morning, and ate whatever was offered. It is thus a representation of unselfishness and of all-acceptance. We must always keep the bowl clean, as we must always keep our minds clean of self, of the opposites. Then we can receive whatever comes to us without turning it into more suffering.

Mumon's Comment 無門曰、趙州開口見膽、露出心肝。 When he opens his mouth, Jõshû shows his gallbladder. He displays his heart and liver. 者僧聽事不眞、喚鐘作甕。 I wonder if this monk really did hear the truth. I hope he did not mistake the bell for a jar. Mumon's Verse 頌曰 只爲分明極 Endeavoring to interpret clearly, 翻令所得遲 You retard your attainment. 早知燈是火 Don't you know that flame is fire? 飯熟已多時 Your rice has long been cooked.

Don’t tangle yourself up in all of these words and things. If you wash your bowl every day, you can come to repay the grandmotherly kindness of those others.

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