Wu-tsu's Buffalo Tail

It is like a buffalo that passes through a latticed window.
Its head, horns, and four legs all pass through.
Why can't its tail pass through as well?

Last week I talked with an old friend about some of the changes in his life. Over the last decade he's gone from being a lay person, to ordination as a Zen monk, and then back to lay life.

As we spoke, I remembered the Song Dynasty teacher, Wu-tsu, and his question about the buffalo's tail (Case 38, Wu-men Kuan).

Although we live only in this very moment, nonetheless we drag our tail around behind us. This tail - our history and karma - not only follows us, but it prevents us from passing through the latticed window.

That's why we practice. Our practice activity chews off the tail, bit by bit. Of course, every day the tail grows longer, bit by bit. And so practice activity never ceases. As Dogen clarifies:

To study the Buddha Way is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be confirmed by the myriad things.

Source: The Gateless Barrier, by Robert Aitken, Roshi
Photo by purtycherty

Comments

[molly]

With diligent daily practice, I don't think the tail actually has to grow longer, does it? Kind of like drawing a line in the sand, but with daily practice the water washes up and over the line and it goes away. Make sense?
Bowing,
Molly

[Justin Choo]

Barry,

Very simple. Just chop off the tail!

Hahahaha!!!

[Yamakoa]

Barry said, "Very simple. Just chop off the tail!"
Ha, I love it. I always perceived it that it just kind of fell of with clearer and clearer realization. Kind of what like a lizard does. If you pin a lizard to the floor by its tail, it will release its tail. The prize, emmancipation.

On a side note, I happen to feel a strong connection to this story. While working on another koan, this "cutting of the tail" came to me while in the bathroom.

Flushing the tail away,
"Y"

[Barry Briggs]

Justin - you might say that you don't understand Zen, but your comment betrays you!

Hi Molly - yes, you make wonderful sense, as always.

Yamakoa, If you cut the buffalo's tail, the animal will die. How can it be that the whole animal can go through the window, but the tail cannot?

[Molly Brown]

Cut off the tail? Hadn't thought of that! Now that is simplicity. :)

[Yamakoa]

Die completely one time and what can remain? If you go 90% of the way there, even though you call heads, the tail will result.
If you completely see through to the end, tail, head, horns, etc.. all fall away; even the window no longer appears. What else is there when the ox (barry),and the window no longer remain?

Vanishing to nowhere,
"Y"

[Barry Briggs]

[Waving goodbye] - "Bye, Yamakoa, old friend!"

Barry

[doug rogers]

Thanks for some simple direction and explanation on this. Tail as past, as history, as karma - can't go away, can't go through, is anchor to being the beast in the world.

Always hold the tail, shake hands, grasp form - rather bow and move minds.

No answer yet :-)

Can we leave it behind and still be of the world?

[Barry Briggs]

Hi Doug, Thank you for your kind comment. Old Wu-tsu has put us into a bind with this tail.

We can't leave our tail behind and we can't cut it off. And yet, he says that it won't go through the latticed window. Yet, the buffalo must find a way to go through. How can we do it?

If we can get through Wu-tsu's latticed window, then our tail will be no problem.

[doug rogers]

The tail remains because the buffalo won't pull it through.

That's all I have for now.

[Barry Briggs]

Hi Doug - Thanks for playing with this koan!

Why is the buffalo so stubborn? It got everything through the window but that darn tail. What now?

[doug rogers]

Why doesn't the window go away?

[doug rogers]

Chopping off the tail won't work - that's pain and death. And it isn't a matter of wiping your butt and leaving it behind - you just leave your shit for others to deal with.

Neither does the buffalo disappear once he's through the window, tail and all. Maybe the window, the gate, the frame, the frame of the question, the context disappears, but then the buffalo is no different at all.

It's a glimpse of realization. It's just not fully realized. The buffalo just isn't working hard enough. Too comfortable? Too complacent? Why is the buffalo so stubborn? So you say.

There is just a bit of self left behind. Interesting that I visualize the image from the tail side of the window. Rotate it in space, change the point of view to the side where the buffalo is through the window and there is no problem at all.

[doug rogers]

Ahhh... but to be the buffalo now...

[doug rogers]

Now that last post is too ambiguous. We have to see/feel/be this from the buffalo's point of view, not from a third person observer's position outside the scene.

[Barry Briggs]

Hi Doug - yes, you're right on top of this. Become the buffalo and see what's going on with the tail. Rotate in space, change the view, and you'll perceive exactly what is required. Ahhh...but to be the buffalo now...

Sit down with a teacher sometime and let her open the latticed window for you - see what happens!

And thank you so much for your engagement.

Barry

[doug rogers]

The question is really, "What is holding you back?"

Thanks for the help.

[Barry Briggs]

Yes, that's exactly the question. Thank you, Doug!

[fumon]

I have a particular love of this story; it was my koan, and took me several decades to come to grips with it ("solve" seems so trite!).

May your journey be as blessed.

[Barry Briggs]

Hi Fumon, Thank you for your comment. I'm glad to hear that this old story has enriched your life. It continues to show up for me in many forms - a true blessing!
Barry

[tomash]

You are cutting off or do longer ox tail here ?