#Zhao Zhouxue

[falseandrealultravival]

"Who’s is the cat ?”: Elimination of the love triangle-“Ku-an of Nansen killing a cat" of Zen (Essay)

"The Ku-an of Nansen killed a cat" is a Zen riddle, because when Zen monks brought a cute cat and argued over who the cat belonged to, their teacher Nansen killed the cat.  When Zhao Zhouxue (趙州従諗), the head of the monks, came back and heard the event, he had put his footwear on his head. Nansen said, "If  Zhao Zhouxue was there, I shouldn't have killed the cat.

It is a public proposal (Ku-an: riddle) that said. This is extremely difficult to interpret and has been a difficult problem since ancient times. The following is a sentence posted in the comment section of a blogger. When I read "Kinkakuji"(by Yukio Mishima), I was caught in this Ku-an of Nansen killed a cat.

As one way of thinking, I will bring the legend of "Mama no Tekona：真間の手児奈" that is handed down in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture. This beautiful woman was courted by two men at the same time, and she couldn't accept either love because she couldn't lean to one side, and she couldn't keep herself alive. She threw herself into the river. Of course, cats don't understand the mechanism of their minds around here, but it seems that Nansen is acting by equating the position of cats with Tekona. Is it a procedure to resolve the binary opposition over things (including humans), rather than over the truth?

 I feel the irony that the brains of those who divide into two camps and put them in cats that are unlikely to be as valuable as humans are below the ground where they can be trampled on their footwear. I don't know if it's correct. Is there anyone who can interpret it well? A similar story to this ku-an is the "Wind / Flag Controversy." While the monks were arguing whether it was the wind or the flag to move, Rokuso Huineng (六祖慧能)argued that "the heart moved," and everyone became quiet. It is a amazing story.