24 December 2013

Comix imitating life

Rico says he's long loved the comix of Sheridan and Schrier, with the line about Ping-Ting-Tung-Tzu comes for fire, but who knew there was a Buddhist story about it:
Fa-yen asked the monk Hsüan-tzu why he had never asked him any questions about Zen. The monk explained that he had already attained his understanding from another master. Pressed by Fa-yen for an explanation, the monk said that, when he had asked his teacher, “What is the meaning of Buddhism?” he had received the answer: Ping-ting comes for fire!
"A good answer!" said Fa-yen. "But I’m sure you don’t understand it."
"Ping-ting," explained the monk, "is the god of fire. For him to be seeking for fire is like myself, seeking the Buddha. I’m the Buddha already, and no asking is needed."
"Just as I thought!" laughed Fa-yen. "You didn’t get it."
The monk said, “Well, how would you answer?”
"Go ahead, ask me." said Fa-yen.
"What is the meaning of Buddhism?" inquired the monk.
"Ping-ting comes for fire!"
Rico says he finally found the cartoon on-line, and didn't have to pay eighty bucks for a good copy:

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