溫故知新 Old wisdom, today’s insight — ONGO
Before Your Parents Were Born, What Was Your Original Face?
Before receiving a body from one's parents, was there already something that could be called "I"?
Think not of good, think not of evil — right at this very moment, what is your original face?
The question "your original face before your parents were born" became a landmark koan within Chan Buddhism. The Linji school pushed it as huatou practice, refusing any conceptual answer until one found it oneself; the Caodong school, by contrast, taught that seated meditation itself was already the manifestation of one's original face, urging students to set down even the effort of seeking an answer. Strive to find it, or notice it is already here — over the same question, the two lineages split into opposite methods of practice.
Even in an age when family registries can prove who you are, this question — whether there is a place those documents cannot reach — still lives, cold and sharp.
Huineng had Huiming, who had chased him down, set aside the robe and bowl he sought — then asked an unexpected question: before receiving a body from your parents, what was your original face?
📝I, Too, Stand Before It
Huineng had Huiming, who had chased him down, set aside the robe and bowl he sought — then asked an unexpected question: before receiving a body from your parents, what was your original face? This is not a denial of one's parents, but a pointing toward something even parents could not create. I read this koan as digging even deeper into the root of the "parents" theme this month holds. Body, name, and temperament came from my parents — but where did this very awareness that notices them come from? I too stand before this question, still without an answer in hand.
✍️Your Answer
The lineage of the ancients ends here. Now it is your turn before the question. There is no right answer — only how you, today, would answer.
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This is not a museum of answers but a lineage of questions. All sources are public-domain texts; the lineage and reflection are 100% original ONGO content.
