Loshan's Laughter

[Guest guest]

Loshan, a disciple of Ganto, coincidentally, or not, just like

his master left us little to ponder about, except for the way

he died.

 

When he was near death, Loshan asked for his ceremonial

robe and ordered the monks to gather at the main hall.

Everyone expected him to give some last instructions,

or perhaps to recite a death poem, but instead he

silently sat, staring ahead with both fists clenched on his

lap.

 

Minutes passed, and a monk coughed to his left. Loshan

raised his left arm still clenching his fist. He opened his

hand and yelled, " All of you to my left, get out. "

 

He, then, raised his right arm and said the same to the

monks on his right. As they began leaving, he kept

repeating, " Get Out, out! Faster, faster! " The monks

pushed each other in their rush. Loshan began laughing.

Louder and louder he laughed. Some monks, turned around

to look at their master adding to the general confusion.

Abruptly, the laughter stopped, and Loshan dropped dead.

 

This incident would only be another Zen oddity, if it were

not for Ganto's screaming death at the hand of robbers.

Did Lonshan orchestrated his own death to contrast with

Ganto's?

 

Did Loshan try to convey the futility of words in the

presence of death? Facing death, only screaming,

laughing, or silence are eloquent. What did he mean by

get out? Did he mean get out these monkish pursues,

don't waste your life waiting for, and chasing words? No

one knows. It all happened so far away, so long ago!

 

Pete