There was a monastery overseen by two brothers. The elder brother was highly learned, while the younger brother was simple-minded and had only one eye.
One evening, a wandering monk arrived, seeking shelter. By tradition, he would debate Buddhist teachings with the monks. If the wanderer won, he could stay; if he lost, he must leave. Exhausted, the elder brother tasked the younger with the debate, instructing him: “Conduct the dialogue in silence.”
Soon after, the wanderer approached the elder brother and said: “Your brother is remarkable! He debated with great wit and defeated me. I shall take my leave now.”
“Before you go,” said the elder brother, “tell me of this debate.”
“Certainly!” replied the wanderer. “First, I held up one finger, symbolizing the Buddha. Your brother raised two fingers, representing the Buddha and his Dharma. I then raised three fingers for the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Finally, your wise brother shook his clenched fist, signifying that all three arise from one awakened mind.” With that, the wanderer departed.
Moments later, the younger brother stormed in, furious.
“I heard you won the debate,” said the elder brother.
“Won? That wanderer was utterly rude!”
“Oh? Explain,” said the elder.
“When he saw me,” fumed the younger, “he raised one finger to mock my single eye! I held up two fingers to praise his two eyes, but the brute raised three, taunting that together we have only three eyes! I threatened to punch him—so he fled!”
The elder brother laughed.
Cultural & Philosophical Notes:
The Illusion of Meaning:
The same gestures (fingers, fist) are interpreted in diametrically opposite ways. The wanderer sees profound symbolism; the younger brother sees personal insult.
Chan Lesson: All meaning is projected by the mind. Reality has no inherent “truth”—it is shaped by our conditioning and biases.
Wisdom vs. Innocence:
The elder brother represents intellectual mastery, while the younger embodies unfiltered simplicity. Ironically, the younger’s “ignorance” accidentally mirrors Chan’s rejection of conceptual thinking.
Chan Lesson: True understanding (prajna) transcends both scholarship and naivety. It arises when the mind is free from labels.
Silence as the Ultimate Teaching:
The “silent debate” parodies Chan koans (paradoxical riddles). By avoiding words, the brothers expose how language distorts reality.
Chan Lesson: As the Diamond Sutra states: “All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows.” Even sacred symbols (Buddha, Dharma) are empty constructs.
The Laugh of Enlightenment:
The elder brother’s laughter signifies recognition of life’s absurdity. The debate’s duality—profound vs. petty—dissolves into non-dual awareness.
Chan Lesson: Awakening is not solemnity but liberation from all frames of reference.
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