Teisho presented by Arno Hess on 19/06/2026 at the Pathway Zen Zenkai at Spring Hill, QLD, Australia.
Case
Master Shuzan held up a shippei before his disciples and said, “You monks, if you call this a
shippei , you ruin the matter. If you do not call this a shippei, you oppose [the matter]. Tell
me, you monks, what will you call it?”
Mumon’s Commentary
If you call this a shippei , you ruin [the matter]. If you do not call this a shippei , you oppose
[the matter]. You should not use words. You should not use no-words. Speak at once! Speak at
once!
Verse
Holding up a shippei,
He issues the order to kill and to give life;
When ruining and opposing interweave,
Even Buddhas and patriarchs beg for their lives.
