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Meditation
- Spirituality -Intuition - Self Realization- Enlightenment
ZEN
Zen is the way
of spontaneous - the effortless effort, the way of intuition.
Joshu's Dog
A monk asked Joshu, a
Chinese Zen master: `Has a dog Buddha-nature or not?'
Joshu answered: `Mu.' [Mu is the negative symbol in Chinese,
meaning `No-thing' or `Nay'.]
Kyogen Mounts
the Tree
Kyogen said: `Zen is
like a man hanging in a tree by his teeth over a precipice.
His hands grasp no branch, his feet rest on no limb, and under
the three another person asks him: `Why does Bodhidharma come
to China from India?'
`If the man in tree does not answer, he fails; and if he does
answer, he falls and loses his life.
Now what shall he do?'
Joshu Washes the Bowl
A monk told Joshu: `I have just entered
the monastery. Please teach me.'
Joshu asked: `Have you eaten your rice porridge?'
The monk replied: `I have eaten.'
Joshu said: `Then you had better wash your bowl.'
At that moment the monk was enlightened.
A Buddha Before History
A monk asked Seijo: `I understand
that a Buddha who lived before recorded history sat in meditation
for ten cycles of existence and could not realize the highest
truth, and so could not become fully emancipated. Why was
this so?'
Seijo replied: `Your question is self-explanatory.'
The monk asked: `Since the Buddha was meditating, why could
he not fulfill Buddahood?'
Seijo said: `He was not a Buddha.'
Full Awareness
After ten years of apprenticeship,
Tenno achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he
went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in,
the master greeted him with a question, "Did you leave
your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?" "
Yes," Tenno replied. "
Tell me," the master continued, "did you place your
umbrella to the left of your shoes, or to the right?"
Tenno
did not know the answer, and realized that he had not yet
attained full awareness. So he became Nan-in's apprentice
and studied under him for ten more years.
Tozan's Three Blows
Tozan went to Ummon. Ummon asked him
where he had come from.
Tozan said: `From Sato village.'
Ummon asked: `In what temple did you remain for the summer?'
Tozan replied: `The temple of Hoji, south of the lake.'
`When did you leave there?' asked Ummon, wondering how long
Tozan would continue with such factual answers.
`The twenty-fifth of August,' answered Tozan.
Ummon said: `I should give you three blows with a stick, but
today I forgive you.'
The next day Tozan bowed to Ummon and asked: `Yesterday you
forgave me three blows. I do not know why you thought me wrong.'
Ummon, rebuking Tozan's spiritless responses, said: `You are
good for nothing. You simply wander from one monastery to
another.'
Before Ummon's words were ended Tozan was enlightened.
Everyday Life is the Path
Joshu asked Nansen: `What is the path?'
Nansen said: `Everyday life is the path.'
Joshu asked: `Can it be studied?'
Nansen said: `If you try to study, you will be far away from
it.'
Joshu asked: `If I do not study, how can I know it is the
path?'
Nansen said: `The path does not belong to the perception world,
neither does it belong to the nonperception world. Cognition
is a delusion and noncognition is senseless. If you want to
reach the true path beyond doubt, place yourself in the same
freedom as sky. You name it neither good
nor not-good.'
At these words Joshu was enlightened.
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Cosmos
of Happiness
