Air, and How Wind is Made.

Very strong winds over here. The tail end of a hurricane blowing off the Atlantic.

Had occasion to look again at the old 'Hands and Eyes of Great Compassion' koan the other day:

Yunyan asked Daowu, “How does the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion (Avalokiteshvara) use so many hands and eyes?”

Daowu said, “It’s just like a person in the middle of the night reaching back in search of a pillow.”

Yunyan said, “I understand.”

Daowu said, “How do you understand it?”

Yunyan said, “All over the body are hands and eyes.”

Daowu said, “What you said is roughly all right. But it’s only eighty percent of it. “

Yunyan said, “Senior brother, how do you understand it?”

Daowu said, “Throughout the body are hands and eyes.” (Tanahashi trans.)

Daido Loori Roshi had a nice comment on this one:

"Don’t you see? Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva has never understood what compassion is."

Regards,

Harry.