joshua asked his rōshi, ‘can i eat with one hand and pray with the other?’ the rōshi thought long and hard on joshua’s question. then the old woman smiled, and said to him: ‘it is no great feat to swallow’

mumon’s comment

joshua’s hands are not his own. one belongs to god, the other to the devil. so joshua’s hands do not come together. he is lucky to have a master so wise who sees a talking face cannot take a bite and that one must first put down what they intend to pick up.

mumon’s verse

a fork in the road

does not puzzle the person

who must split in two