User:WikiDao/The Gateless Gate/46

46. Proceed from the Top of the Pole

Sekiso asked: "How can you proceed on from the top of a hundred-foot pole?" Another Zen teacher said: "One who sits on the top of a hundred-foot pole has attained a certain height but still is not handling Zen freely. He should proceed on from there and appear with his whole body in the ten parts of the world."


 * Mumon’s comment: One can continue his steps or turn his body freely about on the top of the pole. In either case he should be respected. I want to ask you monks, however: How will you proceed from the top of that pole? Look out!
 * The man who lacks the third eye of insight
 * Will cling to the measure of the hundred feet.
 * Such a man will jump from there and kill himself,
 * Like a blind man misleading other blind men.