Mumonkan - Case 42: A woman comes out of meditation

The wisest Bodhisattva Manjusuri, who is supposed to be next in order to
Shakyamuni Buddha, found that the Buddha's gathering was adjourned and each was
going back to his/her land. Observing one woman still deep in meditation near
Shakyamuni, Manjusuri properly bowed and asked Shakyamuni Buddha,
  "That woman has been able to reach that state of Enlightenment and
   why have I not?"
Shakyamuni replied,
  "Bring her from the Samadhi and ask her yourself!"
Manjusuri went round the woman three times and snapped his fingers and yet she
was undisturbed in meditation. So Manjusuri held her high up in his hand and
brought her to the first of three meditative heavens (totally detached from
any lust) and exhausted all his mystical powers in vain (to awaken her).
Observing this, Shakyamuni said,
  "Even a hundred thousand Manjusris could not awaken her from Samadhi.
   There resides Mo-myo (Avidya) Boddhisattva, the lowest of all, below
   this place past twelve hundred million lands. He alone can raise her from
   her deep meditation."
No sooner had the Shakyamuni spoken than that Boddhisattva sprang up out of
the earth, bowed and paid his homage to Shakyamuni. By Shakyamuni order,
Mo-myo Boddhisattva snapped his fingers. Instantly the woman came out of
meditation and stood up.


Mumon's Comments:

The old chap, Shakyamuni, is extraordinary indeed, able to produce such a
village theatre stage. Now then, tell me:
"Why was Manjusri, the highest and wisest of the seven Boddhisattva, unable to
bring her out of meditation? Why was Mo-myo Boddhisattva, the lowest of all,
able to do so? Should you obtain and live this complete understanding of it,
you will attain the great samadi within this mundane world of delusion and
attachment."

    Whether the one who could bring her out of meditation,
                               or the other who could not,
    Both of them obtained freedom.
    The one wore the mask of god, the other, a devil's mask in that theatre,
    Even the failure is artistic indeed.