Nansen Kills the Cat
The monks of the eastern and western halls were arguing over a cat.
Nansen, holding up the cat, said,
"
If any of you can speak a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. If you cannot, I will cut it in two." The monks could not answer.
Nansen cut the cat in two.
Later, Joshu returned from outside.
Nansen told him what had happened.
Joshu took off his sandal, placed it on his head, and walked out.
Nansen said,
"If you had been here, the cat would have been saved."
Reflection
Nansen killing the cat is a drastic teaching that challenges attachment to rules and concepts. When no one can speak a word of Zen, the cat is cut in two – a shocking act that forces the community to confront the ultimate seriousness of practice. Zhaozhou's sandal-on-head response shows the kind of spontaneous, uncalculated action that could have saved the cat. The koan remains controversial, highlighting that Zen sometimes uses shock to awaken from complacency.