A monk saw a turtle in the
garden of Daizui's monastery and asked the teacher, "All beings cover their
bones with flesh and skin.
Why does this being cover its flesh and skin with bones?" Master Daizui took
off one of his sandals and covered the turtle with it.
(Koan)
First reaction
Why cover the turtle with the sandal?
Exploration
The monk's question was speculative and made a generalised statement. The terms
of his question implied a conceptual basis, a frame of comparison.
He applied a rule to the animals and attributed a meaning. But what did his
insight mean?
Is there a meaning?
The monk said that all beings cover their bones with flesh and skin, yet Daizui
covers the turtle with his own sandal. Is this a significant action?
Does he offer the turtle his support?
Is he showing that the sandal is an affectation? That the turtle is whole
without it? More complete than he is?
Possible meaning
By covering the turtle with his sandal, Daizui illustrated that the
external means nothing.
It is like Loy Ching Yuen's The lead in the homeland
of water is all one flavour.
The turtle cannot be understood in terms of its differences. They are arbitrary.
Surface.
All beings are one.
All creatures deserve respect and consideration.
Placing the sandal on the turtle does not change the essence, the nature of the
turtle, anymore than its absence would.
The turtle is complete in itself. It does not need anything adding to it.
Categorising and dividing things into this and that is a
convention. It serves a linguistic purpose but has no actual meaning in itself.
Page created 19 May 2005