81. Just Go
To Sleep
Gasan was sitting at the bedside of Tekisui three days before
his teacher's passing. Tekisui had already chosen him as his
successor.
A temple recently had burned and Gasan was busy rebuilding the
structure. Tekisui asked him: "What are you going to do when
you get the temple rebuilt?"
"When your sickness is over we want you to speak there," said
Gasan.
"Suppose I do not live until then?"
"Then we will get someone else," replied Gasan.
"Suppose you cannot find anyone?" continued Tekisui.
Gasan answered loudly: "Don't ask such foolish questions. Just
go to sleep."
82. Nothing Exists
Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master
after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.
Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha,
and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature
of phenomena is emptiness. There is no relaization, no delusion,
no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be
received."
Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked
Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.
"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger
come from?"
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83. No Work, No Food
Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils
even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the
grounds, and pruning the trees.
The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard,
but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so
they hid away his tools.
That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat,
nor the next. "He may be angry because we have hidden his tools,"
the pupils surmised. "We had better put them back."
The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before.
In the evening he instructed them: "No work, no food."
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84. True Friends
A long time ago in China there were two friends, one who played
the harp skillfully and one who listened skillfully.
When the one played or sang about a mountain, the other would
say: "I can see the mountain before us."
When the other played about water, the listener would exclaim:
"Here is the running stream!"
But the listener fell sick and died. The first friend cut the
strings of his harp and never played again. Since that time
the cutting of harp strings has always been a sign of intimate
friendship.
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85. Time to Die
Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher
had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break
this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of
his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When
the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"
"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has
to die and has just so long to live."
Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for
your cup to die."
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86. The Living Buddha & the Tubmaker
Zen masters give personal gidance in a secluded room. No one
enters while teacher and pupil are together.
Mokurai, the Zen master of Kennin temple in Kyoto, used ot enjoy
talking with merchants and newspapermen as well as with his
pupils. A certain tubmaker was almost illiterate. He would ask
foolish questions of Mokurai, have tea, and then go away.
One day while the tubmaker was there Mokurai wished to give
personal guidance to a disciple, so he asked the tubmaker to
wait in another room.
"I understand you are a living Buddha," the man protested. "Even
the stone Buddhas in the temple never refuse the numerous persons
who come together before them. Why then should I be excluded?"
Mokurai had to go outside to see his disciple.
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87. Three Kinds of Disciples
A Zen master named Gettan lived in the latter part of the Tokugawa
era. He used to say: "There are three kinds of disciples: those
who impart Zen to others, those who maintain the temples and
shrines, and then there are the rice bags and the clothes-hangers."
Gasan expressed the same idea. When he was studying under Tekisui,
his teacher was very severe. Sometimes he even beat him. Other
pupils would not stand this kind of teaching and quit. Gasan
remained, saying: "A poor disciple utilizes a teacher's influence.
A fair disciple admires a teacher's kindness. A good disciple
grows strong under a teacher's discipline."
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88. How To Write a Chinese Poem
A well-known Japanese poet was asked how to compose a Chinese
poem.
"The usual Chinese poem is four lines," he explained. "The first
line contains the initial phrase; the second line, the continuation
of that phrase; the third line turns from this subject and begins
a new one; and the fourth line brings the first three lines
together. A popular Japanese song illustrates this:
Two daughters of a silk merchant live in Kyoto.
The elder is twenty, the younger, eighteen.
A soldier may kill with his sword,
But these girls slay men with their eyes."
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89. Zen Dialogue
Zen teachers train their young pupils to express themselves.
Two Zen temples each had a child protégé. One child, going to
obtain vegetables each morning, would meet the other on the
way.
"Where are you going?" asked the one.
"I am going wherever my feet go," the other responded.
This reply puzzled the first child who went to his teacher for
help. "Tomorrow morning," the teacher told him, "when you meet
that little fellow, ask him the same question. He will give
you the same answer, and then you ask him: 'Suppose you have
no feet, then where are you going?' That will fix him."
The children met again the following morning.
"Where are you going?" asked the first child.
"I am going wherever the wind blows," answered the other.
This again nonplussed the youngster, who took his defeat to
the teacher.
Ask him where he is going if there is no wind," suggested the
teacher.
The next day the children met a third time.
"Where are you going?" asked the first child.
"I am going to the market to buy vegetables," the other replied.
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90. The Last
Rap
Tangen had studied with Sengai since childhood. When he was
twenty he wanted to leave his teacher and visit others for comparitive
study, but Sengai would not permit this. Every time Tangen suggested
it, Sengai would give him a rap on the head.
Finally Tangen asked an elder brother to coax permission from
Sengai. This the brother did and then reported to Tangen: "It
is arranged. I have fixed it for you to start on your pilgrimage
at once."
Tangen went to Sengai to thank him for his permission. The master
answered by giving him another rap.
When Tangen related this to his elder brother the other said:
"What is the matter? Sengai has no business giving premission
and then changing his mind. I will tell him so." And off he
went to see the teacher.
"I did not cancel my permission," said Sengai. "I just wished
to give him one last smack over the head, for when he returns
he will be enlightened and I will not be able to reprimand him
again."
