IMPORTANT - This page will offer some minimal prompts and notes to support your own investigation of the koan. I intentionally removed my own interpretations from it so that the investigation can remain you own (see introduction). I’ve kept my full commentary for another page.

Translation: Robert Aitken, The Gateless Barrier, 1990.

The story of Paichang/Baizhang/Hyakujo and the Fox can be found in multiple collections of koans with some variations:

• Case 2 of the Gateless Barrier (Mumonkan),
• Case 8 of Book of Serenity (Shōyōroku),
• Case 102 of Dogen’s Shinji Shobogenzo.

The Case

Once when Paichang gave a series of talks, a certain old man was always there listening together with the monks. When they left, he would leave too. One day, however, he remained behind. Paichang asked him, “Who are you, standing here before me?”

The old man replied, “I am not a human being. In the far distant past, in the time of Kasyapa Buddha, I was head priest at this mountain. One day a monk asked me, ‘Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect or not?’ I replied, ‘Such a person does not fall under the law of cause and effect.’ With this I was reborn five hundred times as a fox. Please say a turning word for me and release me from the body of a fox.”

He then asked Paichang, “Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect or not?”

Paichang said, “Such a person does not evade the law of cause and effect.”

Hearing this, the old man immediately was enlightened. Making his bows he said, “I am released from the body of a fox. The body is on the other side of this mountain. I wish to make a request of you. Please, Abbot, perform my funerals as for a priest.”

Paichang had a head monk strike the signal board and inform the assembly that after the noon meal there would be a funeral service for a priest. The onks talked about this in wonder. “All of us are well. There is no one in the morgue. What does the teacher mean?”

After the meal, Paichang led the monks to the foot of a rock on the far side of the mountain. And there, with his staff, he poked out the body of a dead fox. He then performed the ceremony of cremation. That evening he took the high seat before his assembly and told the monks the whole story.

Huang-po stepped forward and said, “As you say, the old man missed the turning word and was reborn as a fox five hundred times. What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked a question – what would have happened then?”

Paichang said, “Just step here closer, and I’ll tell you.” Huang-po went up to Paichang and slapped him in the face.

Paichang clapped his hands and laughed, saying, “I thought the Barbarian had a red beard, but here is a red-bearded Barbarian.”

Wu-men’s comment

“Not falling under the law of cause and effect.” Why should this prompt five hundred lives as a fox? “Not evading the law of cause and effect.” Why should this prompt a return a human life? If you have the single eye of realization, you will appreciate how old Paichang lived five hundred lives as a fox as lives of grace.

Wu-men’s verse

Not falling, not evading–
two faces of the same die.
Not evading, not falling–
a thousand mistakes, ten thousand mistakes.

Prompts

The following are my own only. They are not part of the case in any way. I hope they can be useful to you. They are organized in “reads”: a specific topic for the investigation of this koan.

A read about being wrong all the time

One day, however, he remained behind. Paichang asked him,

Hu ho…

“Who are you, standing here before me?”

Don’t reply!

The old man replied…

Oh no, you did!

I am not a human being…

Starting with “I”? Not a great start for an answer.

What does this reply indicate? The old man indeed seems to be the object of the law of cause and effect.

Would he utter an answer to this question if he was enlightened?

One day a monk asked me, ‘Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect or not?’ …

Hu ho… don’t tell me you replied to that one too?

… I replied …

Oh no, you did it again!

Someone asking you a question does not mean you have to answer.

‘Such a person does not fall under the law of cause and effect.’

A wrong question leads to a wrong answer?

With this I was reborn five hundred times as a fox.

Well of course, you did say “such a person does not fall into cause and effect.”

Huang-po stepped forward and said, “As you say, the old man missed the turning word and was reborn as a fox five hundred times. What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked a question – what would have happened then?”

That’s a trap!

Paichang said, “Just step here closer, and I’ll tell you.” Huang-po went up to Paichang and slapped him in the face.

It seems better to just not answer anything at all.

A read about doctrines

Making his bows he said, “I am released from the body of a fox. The body is on the other side of this mountain.

I bet the other side of that mountain is facing north.

After the meal, Paichang led the monks to the foot of a rock on the far side of the mountain. And there, with his staff, he poked out the body of a dead fox. He then performed the ceremony of cremation.

The old man does not belong to the same side of the mountain, still he deserves to receive the ritual owed to a priest.

“In the far distant past, in the time of Kasyapa Buddha, I was head priest at this mountain. One day a monk asked me, ‘Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect or not?’ I replied, ‘Such a person does not fall under the law of cause and effect.’ With this I was reborn five hundred times as a fox. Please say a turning word for me and release me from the body of a fox.”

He then asked Paichang, “Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect or not?”

Paichang said, “Such a person does not evade the law of cause and effect.”

Hearing this, the old man immediately was enlightened. Making his bows he said, “I am released from the body of a fox.”

So, on this side of the mountain, you can get enlightened like that? Looks like the old man has been stuck on the other side for way too long.

Huang-po stepped forward and said, “As you say, the old man missed the turning word and was reborn as a fox five hundred times. What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked a question – what would have happened then?”

Could you really do that? Answer such a hard question correctly on your first try? Or is it expected that you’ll fail first, until you know how to answer?

Paichang said, “Just step here closer, and I’ll tell you.” Huang-po went up to Paichang and slapped him in the face.

What kind of action would prompt such a reward?

Huang-po stepped forward and said, “As you say, the old man missed the turning word and was reborn as a fox five hundred times. What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked a question – what would have happened then?”

How many times does one have to answer that question to finally reach enlightenment?

A read about the ritual

Hearing this, the old man immediately was enlightened. Making his bows he said, “I am released from the body of a fox. The body is on the other side of this mountain. I wish to make a request of you. Please, Abbot, perform my funerals as for a priest.”

Ritual and liturgy, could this be an answer to the question?

Why does the old man even request a funeral? What’s the purpose of it?

“There, with his staff, he poked out the body of a dead fox. He then performed the ceremony of cremation.”

Why would there be anything to do with the fox’s body? What does it actually do to cremate it?

A read about cause and effects

Once when Paichang gave a series of talks, a certain old man was always there listening together with the monks. When they left, he would leave too. One day, however, he remained behind.

What happened that day? What came to be? What was different about that day? What emerged so that this day the old man went to the master?

When they left, he would leave too.

He was going with the stream.

One day, however, he remained behind.

There the stream meets a boulder, causing the water to stop for a moment.

“Not falling under the law of cause and effect.” Why should this prompt five hundred lives as a fox? “Not evading the law of cause and effect.” Why should this prompt a return a human life? If you have the single eye of realization, you will appreciate how old Paichang lived five hundred lives as a fox as lives of grace.

What has the old man done to receive this fruit and live five hundred lives as a fox? What has he done to be released from it today? Why should this prompt five hundred lives as a fox?

The old man replied, “I am not a human being. In the far distant past, in the time of Kasyapa Buddha, I was head priest at this mountain.

This is so far in the past, how could there be anything left from the “I” that was?

“Please say a turning point for me […] Hearing this, the old man immediately was enlightened.”

Making his bows he said, “I am released from the body of a fox.”

No you’re not. “Fox drool is still there.”

What if he had given the right answer each time he was asked a question – what would have happened then?”

Yes. What would have happened then? What then?

What is the effect of this cause? Is there any even?