HOME: Misty Rain 5

 MATSU

 (Mazu Daoyi 馬祖道 708 - 788)

The First Dialogue

Matsu sat on a cushion, his left leg pulled into his groin, his right leg slightly extended, the foot bandaged. We were alone in a large dimly lit hall. Eight or nine candles of various sizes flickered on a pine shelf. The bustle of the temple business creaked and mumbled and occasionally gonged, quietly, as the monks went about their business.
    'Thank you for speaking to me,' I said, bowing as best I could sitting, as I was, on a cushion before the Master.
    'Perhaps a chair,' he said.

    His voice was mellifluous. A large man, for a Chinese, even sitting his demeanor was that of the mountain cat, his eyes alive and probing. His knobby bald head glistened in the candlelight. He could touch his nose with his tongue, it was said, but I did not have the temerity to mentioned what seemed an intrusive personal question.
    'Oh, I’m fine here,' I said, 'now that I’ve got here.' My legs were not quite crossed, grasping my shins for balance, almost comfortable.
    'Now that you’ve got here, from where have you come?' he asked.
    'America. To the west some 6000 miles—20000 li.'
    'Indeed. And Daqin?'
    I shook my head. 'I don’t know the name,' I said.
    'Yuanxi,' he said, "the far west. Romans, so called.'
    'Europe, you mean? Another 4000 miles across, the Atlantic Ocean.'

    He nodded his head, thoughtful.
    'This is your geography,' he said. 'Yes?'
    'That is what it is, geography.'

    His eyes lowered as though contemplating his injured foot, his chest rose and fell with his slow, steady breathing. Out came his tongue, covering his upper lip, but short of the end of his nose.
    Looking up, he said, 'Big place, this America?'

    'As large, say, as China and India and the rest of Asia combined.'
    'Indeed, it is said that Xuanzang traveled 30,000 li to retrieve the sutras. You know of these journeys?'

    'I know of Bodhidarma, but that's all.'

    "Ah,' he said.

    From beside him, the man took up what appeared to be a hatchet, but as he ran a thumb over the honed bit, it became, obviously, a cleaver taken, no doubt, from the temple's kitchen.

    'Have you eaten?' he asked. 'Just vegetables and rice from breakfast, but it will fill your belly. Vegetables all from temple on Gonggongshan. You have visited there? Clever fellows, grow three types of cabbage, bok choy, tat soi, mustard greens, snow peas, yard-long beans, melons, eggplants, chili peppers, radishes, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, chives, and root crops like sweet potatoes. When we finish here, Liang Kai will take you. I am not quite as mobile as I would like.'

    'You have injured your foot?'

    His eyes widened, his jaw tensed, tongue moistened lips as he leaned towards me.
    'That fool Huaihai has done me an injury,' he said. 'Sitting, as I was, by the roadside that leads to the garden, he comes trundling along with his vegetable cart and says, I will pass. Perhaps, I told him. Perhaps not. My leg was extended and I was leaning back comfortably enjoying the murmuration of starlings. What has been extended, I told the man, cannot be withdrawn. Humph, he says, what has been put in motion cannot be stopped. And on he came, running over my foot. They brought me here to Youmin in his vegetable cart. Yesterday, the man came to visit me, to offer his apologies.'

    Matsu raised his cleaver and gave it a shake.

    'I took up my caidao and demanded he extend his neck.'

    'No, you wouldn't.' I shook my head, eyes wide. 'Would you?' This was all quite surprising. They were Buddhist, after all. What to make of this show of violence?

    'Choler must have its outlet.' said Matsu. 'Huaihai dropped to one knee and stretched out his neck. I raised the cleaver, slowly, slowly; then laughed out loud.'

    'And?' I thought at once of Nan ch'uan and the story, apocryphal or not, how this master once cut a cat in two to settle a dispute.
    "I gave the fool a great shove with my good foot pushing him to the floor. A good laugh we had. He bowed then and begged forgiveness. I told him, no need. He said, Oh yes. Oh yes. I am sorry I did not run over the other foot, and up he jumped and fled laughing from the hall. Gave me a chuckle, he did.

    He brandished his cleaver and growled.

    Then said, 'Have some tea  now,' and shooed me away.

    'May I come again tomorrow?' I asked.
    'Yes, yes, he snapped.' 

    And out came his tongue to lap at his nose.


NOTES:

Daqin is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire or, depending on context, the Near East, especially Syria. It literally means "Great Qin" or 'greater China.

Xuanzang (602 - 664), A well-traveled Buddhist monk who is remembered today for his account of a sixteen year pilgrimage to India.

Bodhidarma (5th century CE), The semi-legendary founder of Chan Buddhism.

Huaihai (720 - 814), known as the father of modern Chan, he was a student of Matsu.

Nan ch'uan (748 - 845), a famous Tang dynasty Chan Master.