Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

As I was looking through the archives for posts to revisit while I was away, I came across this pairing I had shared on consecutive days a few years ago:

‘Emperor Wu of Liang asked Fu Daishi to give a lecture on the Diamond Sutra. Fu Daishi mounted the platform, struck the reading desk with his staff, and descended from the platform. The emperor was dumbfounded. Shiko said to him, “Your Majesty, have you understood?” The emperor said, “No, I do not understand.” Shiko said, “Daishi has concluded his lecture.’ (Blue Cliff Record, Case 67)

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‘A non-Buddhist philosopher said to the Buddha, “I do not ask for words; I do not ask for non-words.” The Buddha just sat there. The philospher said admiringly, “The World-honored One, with his great mercy, has blown away the clouds of my illusion and enabled me to enter the Way.” And after making bows, he took his leave. Then Ananda asked the Buddha, “What did he realize, to admire you so much?” The World-honored One replied, “A fine horse runs at the shadow of the whip.” (Mumonkan, case 32)

So what is the difference between these two? Perhaps we have to imagine the face-to-face transmission.