I’ve been reading The Blue Cliff Record. Not an easy read, especially for a non-Ch’an Buddhist. Not an easy read for a Ch’an Buddhist. Just not easy.
At any rate, I came across a great note that translators (Thomas Cleary and J.C. Cleary) added:
The image of a dog which, hit with a clod of dirt thrown by a man, ignores the man and chases the clod in anger, is found Kasyapa-parivata; it symbolizes those who are afraid of the delights of the senses and seek deliverance in solitude and quiet – they never really become free because they are dependent on solitude and quiet, becoming every bit as much, and even more, miserable and confused as before when they again come in contact with the hustle and bustle of ordinary life.
The dog ignoring the man, the root cause, and chasing the clod, the symptom, is an obvious thought to turn over in your head. We all can think of people’s actions that exemplify this behavior, even our own. How silly it seems when the example is a dog, but how personal it becomes when we hold this thought-mirror up to ourselves.
A person fearing sensory pleasure hides in solitude and quiet which only reinforces his fear, doing nothing to address the root problem. Sounds like swapping drinking and drugs out for meetings. Sounds like people trying to ghetto-ize themselves in an ever expanding world.
Afraid of the world? Find the specific thing that makes you afraid. Do not run from it or it will only grow bigger and more terrifying. Find that thing. Hold it up for your heart and mind to scour. Then let it and your fear go.
this is been a nice post. one must face the real problem instead of going behind illusion or getting confused about daily life. the example of dog is works fine for this story.