Mumonkan - The Girl Comes out of Meditation

The Case

Once, in the old days, in the time of the World-honored One, Manjusri went to the assembly of the Buddhas and found that everyone had departed to his original dwelling place. Only a girl remained, sitting in meditation close to the Buddhas throne. Manjusri asked Shakyamuni Buddha, "Why can the girl get near the Buddha's throne, while I cannot?"

Shakyamuni Buddha said, "Bring her out of her meditation and ask her yourself." Manjusri walked around the girl three times, snapped his fingers once, took her to the Brahma heaven, and exerted all his miraculous powers to bring her out of her meditation, but in vain. The World-honored One said, "Even a hundred thousand Manjusris cannot make her wake up. But down below, past twelve hundred million lands as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, there is the Bodhisattva Momyo.

He will be able to arouse her from her meditation." Instantly the Bodhisattva Momyo emerged from the earth and made a bow to the World-honored One, who gave him his imperial order. The Bodhisattva went over to the girl and snapped his fingers once. At this she came out of her meditation.

Mumon's Comment

Old Shakyamuni put a pretty drama on the stage and failed to enlighten the masses. I want to ask you: Manjusri is the teacher of the seven Buddhas; why couldn't he arouse the girl from her meditation? How was it that Momyo, a Bodhisattva at the beginner's stage, could do it? If you understand this intimately, you will enjoy Nagya's grand meditation in the busiest activity of consciousness.

Verse

One was successful, the other was not; Both secured freedom of mind. One in a god-mask, the other in a devil-mask; Even in defeat, a beautiful performance.