Case 10
Sound and Color
A student came to the Great Venerable Chan Master Pop-An (Fa-Yen Wen-I : 885-958) and asked, "How should I understand sound and color?"
Venerable Master said, "Here, good Monk, why don't you introspect yourself about who is asking now?"
Later Chan Master Ja-Soo sang a Gatha for this:
Sound and color are merely two words;
The monk didn't realize those sands in his eyes.
Playing the jade flute in the yellow crane gazebo;
In the town near the river, the plum blossoms falling in May.
The truth of this Kong-An [koan] is distant from any terms, easy or difficult. Therefore, it is neither difficult nor easy. Truly, the faithful student who has the bright eye can notice what it is.
Jade flute? What kind of jade flute?
Plum blossom? What kind of plum blossom?
If one can distinguish the jade flute and the plum blossom, then tell me now. If one is capable of distinguishing, then I will comment with an ancient sage's Gatha:
Truly fortunate is the blind tortoise
Who accidentally found a board floating in the ocean,
Or a mustard seed which was pierced
Through by a tiny needle dropped from Heaven.
He would be the final winner of Tao.
Venerable Master responded for himself
If someone asked me this Kong-An, I would answer,
Before even clouds are gathered in the southern mountain
Rain poured down in the northern mountain.
[from a section entitled "Hye-Am: Patriarchal Hwa-du," in Cookies of Zen by Shin Myo Vong]