ENG
Amidst the snow, a monk so strange,
Before the wall, in northern winds' range.
With martial arts, he seeks true Zen,
Bind his hands, but not his spirit then.
Non-Able was unmatched in his martial arts skills, with no one in the temple able to rival him.
One day, Yellowbrow summoned him and offered to teach him some skills. However, Non-Able replied, "Master, I believe my martial arts are sufficient to overcome any foe. There is no need for other skills."
Yellowbrow laughed and said, "Your straightforward approach shows a lack of adaptability. How can you progress further if you bind yourself in such a way?"
Non-Able responded, "Master, if I use methods I do not believe in to achieve victory, even if I win in the end, I will still feel like I did not win the fight and unable."
Yellowbrow asked, "Do you not agree with your master's path?"
Non-Able replied, "Master, you have always taken the clever route, which is why it is difficult for you to attain Buddhahood. It seems you can do everything, but in reality, you can do nothing."
Yellowbrow chuckled softly at this and ordered Non-Able hands to be tied behind his back, instructing him to reflect on his actions in front of the stone wall outside the temple. He thought that after a few days of kneeling, Non-Able would let go of his stubbornness. However, Non-Able remained resolute and, to this day, refuses to bow his head.
The story takes place in a snowy, northern area near the temple wall. The two main characters are a monk named Non-Able and his master, Yellowbrow. Non-Able is famous in the temple for being unmatched in martial arts; no one there can rival him. He practices martial arts as part of his path to enlightenment and is described as seeking true Zen through those skills.
Yellowbrow, the master, invites Non-Able to learn other skills beyond his martial training. Yellowbrow thinks Non-Able’s approach is too rigid and that he needs adaptability to progress. He offers to teach him methods that go beyond pure martial technique.
Non-Able refuses the offer. He says his martial arts are enough to overcome any foe and sees no reason to adopt methods he does not believe in. He explains that if he used techniques he disagrees with to win, the victory would feel hollow and he would still feel unable. He also criticizes Yellowbrow, saying the master always takes clever routes and implying that makes it hard for Yellowbrow to reach Buddhahood. Non-Able bluntly tells Yellowbrow that although he seems to do everything, in reality he does nothing.
Yellowbrow reacts by ordering Non-Able’s hands to be bound behind his back and telling him to kneel and reflect in front of the stone wall outside the temple. Yellowbrow expects that after a few days of kneeling and reflection, Non-Able will drop his stubbornness and accept other teachings.
The story ends with Non-Able remaining resolute. Even after being bound and placed before the wall, he refuses to bow his head. The implication is that Non-Able’s spirit and conviction are not broken by physical restraint; he binds his hands but not his spirit. The conflict between Non-Able’s straightforward devotion to martial practice and Yellowbrow’s push for adaptability remains unresolved.