Bamboos and the Bodhidharma
The disciple Seihei once asked the master Suibi if he would please tell him the basic principle of Buddhism. He did this by asking: “Why did Bodhidharma come out of India into China?” Suibi said: “Wait, not now. Later, when there is no one around....
By Mukul Sharma, |
The disciple Seihei once asked the master Suibi if he would please tell him the basic principle of Buddhism. He did this by asking: ���Why did Bodhidharma come out of India into China?��� Suibi said: ���Wait, not now. Later, when there is no one around but us, I will tell you.��� During the day they were alone together several times, and several times Seihei started to ask his question again, but each time the master put a finger to his lips.
Finally, Seihei insisted on knowing. Suibi took him outside. ���There is no one here. Tell me now,��� said Seihei. Suibi whispered: ���These bamboos here are tall. Those bamboos there are short. That is why Bodhidharma came to China!���
Suibi���s observation was, of course, absolutely correct; bamboos ��� or for that matter, any other grasses, plants or trees ��� don���t grow in ordered form like planned cities and their infrastructure. Nature, as the American philosopher Alan Watts noted, is squiggly and not regimented. Depending on various parameters such as amount of sunlight received, soil nutrients available, the presence of competitive vegetation and, ultimately, genetic factors, bamboos can either be tall or short.
Projective human geometry, on the other hand, as in the trimming of hedges and mowing of lawns, is basically a compulsion on foliage to conform to social and personal beliefs.
(Those who think Suibi was belittling India by saying the bamboos there were short whereas in China they were tall, thus implying the lack of a fertile environment in the subcontinent for such ideas to flourish miss the point. Besides being ridiculously crass, Suibi surely knew that Bodhidharma, whoever he was, had originally been able to rise in India.}
So we come to the realisation that the length of bamboos has probably nothing to do with the basic principle of Buddhism. (Yesss!) Yet why hasn���t any master, before or after Suibi who could have told us the same thing, didn���t do so and hasn���t so far? Also what���s the big deal about a master being alone with the disciple to impart such a piece of important non-wisdom?
Obviously, Suibi was aware that by answering the question in front of others he would immediately be seen as projecting his personal geometry on a matter that was naturally squiggly and, in the process, making a fool of himself. Notice, too, how cunningly Seihei���s response has not been recorded even though the story is almost certainly apocryphal.
Finally, Seihei insisted on knowing. Suibi took him outside. ���There is no one here. Tell me now,��� said Seihei. Suibi whispered: ���These bamboos here are tall. Those bamboos there are short. That is why Bodhidharma came to China!���
Suibi���s observation was, of course, absolutely correct; bamboos ��� or for that matter, any other grasses, plants or trees ��� don���t grow in ordered form like planned cities and their infrastructure. Nature, as the American philosopher Alan Watts noted, is squiggly and not regimented. Depending on various parameters such as amount of sunlight received, soil nutrients available, the presence of competitive vegetation and, ultimately, genetic factors, bamboos can either be tall or short.
Projective human geometry, on the other hand, as in the trimming of hedges and mowing of lawns, is basically a compulsion on foliage to conform to social and personal beliefs.
(Those who think Suibi was belittling India by saying the bamboos there were short whereas in China they were tall, thus implying the lack of a fertile environment in the subcontinent for such ideas to flourish miss the point. Besides being ridiculously crass, Suibi surely knew that Bodhidharma, whoever he was, had originally been able to rise in India.}
So we come to the realisation that the length of bamboos has probably nothing to do with the basic principle of Buddhism. (Yesss!) Yet why hasn���t any master, before or after Suibi who could have told us the same thing, didn���t do so and hasn���t so far? Also what���s the big deal about a master being alone with the disciple to impart such a piece of important non-wisdom?
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Obviously, Suibi was aware that by answering the question in front of others he would immediately be seen as projecting his personal geometry on a matter that was naturally squiggly and, in the process, making a fool of himself. Notice, too, how cunningly Seihei���s response has not been recorded even though the story is almost certainly apocryphal.
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