Mu-Mon
(The Gateless Gate )
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41 - 60
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Joshu
began the study of Zen when he was sixty years old and continued until he
was eighty, when he realized Zen.
He
taught from the age of eighty until he was one hundred and twenty.
A
student once asked him: "If I haven't anything in my mind, what shall I
do?"
Joshu
replied: "Throw it out."
"But if
I haven't anything, how can I throw it out?" continued the questioner.
"Well,"
said Joshu, "then carry it out." ^
When
Mamiya, who later became a well-known preacher, went to a teacher for
personal guidance, he was asked to explain the sound of one hand.
Mamiya
concentrated upon what the sound of one hand might be. "You are not
working hard enough," his teacher told him. "You are too attached to food,
wealth, things, and that sound. It would be better if you died. That would
solve the problem."
The
next time Mamiya appeared before his teacher he was again asked what he
had to show regarding the sound of one hand. Mamiya at once fell over as
if he were dead.
"You
are dead all right," observed the teacher. "But how about that sound?"
"I
haven't solved that yet," replied Mamiya, looking up.
"Dead
men do not speak," said the teacher. "Get out!" ^
Tosui
was a well-known Zen teacher of his time. He had lived in several temples
and taught in various provinces.
The
last temple he visited accumulated so many adherents that Tosui told them
he was going to quit the lecture business entirely. He advised them to
disperse and go wherever they desired. After that no one could find any
trace of him.
Three
years later one of his disciples discovered him living with some beggars
under a bridge in Kyoto. He at once implored Tosui to teach him.
"If you
can do as I do for even a couple days, I might," Tosui replied.
So the
former disciple dressed as a beggar and spent the day with Tosui. The
following day one of the beggars died. Tosui and his pupil carried the
body off at midnight and buried it on a mountainside. After that they
returned to their shelter under the bridge.
Tosui
slept soundly the remainder of the night, but the disciple could not
sleep. When morning came Tosui said: "We do not have to beg food today.
Our dead friend has left some over there." But the disciple was unable to
eat a single bite of it.
"I have
said you could not do as I," concluded Tosui. "Get out of here and do not
bother me again." ^
One
evening as Shichiri Kojun was reciting sutras a thief with a sharp sword
entered, demanding either money or his life.
Shichiri told him: "Do not disturb me. You can find the money in that
drawer." Then he resumed his recitation.
A
little while afterwards he stopped and called: "Don't take it all. I need
some to pay taxes with tomorrow."
The
intruder gathered up most of the money and started to leave. "Thank a
person when you receive a gift," Shichiri added. The man thanked him and
made off.
A few
days afterwards the fellow was caught and confessed, among others, the
offence against Shichiri. When Shichiri was called as a witness he said:
"This man is no thief, at least as far as I am concerned. I gave him money
and he thanked me for it."
After
he had finished his prison term, the man went to Shichiri and became his
disciple. ^
When
Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of
Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught
stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the
culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later
the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the
matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for
the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a
body.
When
Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise
brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right.
You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does
not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going
to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."
A
torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All
desire to steal had vanished. ^
During
the Kamakura period, Shinkan studied Tendai six years and then studied Zen
seven years; then he went to China and contemplated Zen for thirteen years
more.
When he
returned to Japan many desired to interview him and asked obscure
questions. But when Shinkan received visitors, which was infrequently, he
seldom answered their questions.
One day
a fifty-year-old student of enlightenment said to Shinkan: "I have studied
the Tendai school of thought since I was a little boy, but one thing in it
I cannot understand. Tendai claims that even the grass and trees will
become enlightened. To me this seems very strange."
"Of
what use is it to discuss how grass and trees become enlightened?" asked
Shinkan. "The question is how you yourself can become so. Did you even
consider that?"
"I
never thought of it that way," marveled the old man.
"Then
go home and think it over," finished Shinkan. ^
Gessen
was an artist monk. Before he would start a drawing or painting he always
insisted upon being paid in advance, and his fees were high. He was known
as the "Stingy Artist."
A
geisha once gave him a commission for a painting. "How much can you pay?"
inquired Gessen.
"'Whatever you charge," replied the girl, "but I want you to do the work
in front of me."
So on a
certain day Gessen was called by the geisha. She was holding a feast for
her patron.
Gessen
with fine brush work did the paining. When it was completed he asked the
highest sum of his time.
He
received his pay. Then the geisha turned to her patron saying: "All this
artist wants is money. His paintings are fine but his mind is dirty; money
has caused it to become muddy. Drawn by such a filthy mind, his work is
not fit to exhibit. It is just about good enough for one of my
petticoats."
Removing her skirt, she then asked Gessen to do another picture on the
back of her petticoat.
"How
much will you pay?" asked Gessen.
"Oh,
any amount," answered the girl.
Gessen
named a fancy price, painted the picture in the manner requested, and went
away.
It was
learned later that Gessen had these reasons for desiring money:
A
ravaging famine often visited his province. The rich would not help the
poor, so Gessen had a secret warehouse, unknown to anyone, which he kept
filled with grain, prepared for these emergencies.
From
his village to the National Shrine the road was in very poor condition and
many travelers suffered while traversing it. He desired to build a better
road.
His
teacher had passed away without realizing his wish to build a temple, and
Gessen wished to complete this temple for him.
After
Gessen had accomplished his three wishes he threw away his brushes and
artist's materials and, retiring to the mountains, never painted again.
^
Sen no
Rikyu, a tea-master, wished to hang a flower basket on a column. He asked
a carpenter to help him, directing the man to place it a little higher or
lower, to the right or left, until he had found exactly the right spot.
"That's the place," said Sen no Rikya finally.
The
carpenter, to test the master, marked the spot and then pretended he had
forgotten. Was this the place? "Was this the place, perhaps?" the
carpenter kept asking, pointing to various places on the column.
But so
accurate was the tea-master's sense of proportion that it was not until
the carpenter reached the identical spot again that its location was
approved. ^
A nun
who was searching for enlightenment made a statue of Buddha and covered it
with gold leaf. Wherever she ent she carried this golden Buddha with her.
Years
passed and, still carrying her Buddha, the nun came to live in a small
temple in a country where there were many Buddhas, each one with its own
particular shrine.
The nun
wished to burn incense before her golden Buddha. Not liking the idea of
the perfume straying to others, she devised a funnel through which the
smoke would ascend only to her statue. This blackened the nose of the
golden Buddha, making it especially ugly. ^
The
Buddhist nun known as Ryonen was born in 1797. She was a graddaughter of
the famous Japanese warrior Shingen. Her poetical genius and alluring
beauty were such that at seventeen she was serving the empress as one of
the ladies of the court. Even at such a youthful age fame awaited her.
The
beloved empress died suddenly and Ryonen's hopeful dreams vanished. She
became acutely aware of the impermanency of life in this world. It was
then that she desired to study Zen.
Her
relatives disagreed, however, and practically forced her into marriage.
With a promise that she might become a nun aftr she had borne three
children, Ryonen assented. Before she was twenty-five she had accomplished
this condition. Then her husband and relatives could no longer dissuade
her from her desire. She shaved her head, took the name of Ryonen, which
means to realize clearly, and started on her pilgrimage.
She
came to the city of Edo and asked Tetsugya to accept her as a disciple. At
one glance the master rejected her because she was too beautiful.
Ryonen
went to another master, Hakuo. Hakuo refused her for the same reason,
saying that her beauty would only make trouble.
Ryonen
obtained a hot iron and placed it against her face. In a few moments her
beauty had vanished forever.
Hakuo
then accepted her as a disciple.
Commemorating this occasion, Ryonen wrote a poem on the back of a little
mirror:
In the
service of my Empress I burned incense to perfume my exquisite clothes,
Now as a homeless mendicant I burn my face to enter a Zen temple.
When
Ryonen was about to pass from this world, she wrote another poem:
Sixty-six times have these eyes beheld the changing scene of autumn.
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask no more.
Only listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs.
^
The
cook monk Dairyo, at Bankei's monastery, decided that he would take good
care of his old teacher's health and give him only fresh miso, a paste of
soy beans mixed with wheat and yeast that often ferments. Bankei, noticing
that he was being served better miso than his pupils, asked: "Who is the
cook today?"
Dairyo
was sent before him. Bankei learned that according to his age and position
he should eat only fresh miso. So he said to the cook: "Then you think I
shouldn't eat at all." With this he entered his room and locked the door.
Dairyo,
sitting outside the door, asked his teacher's pardon. Bankei would not
answer. For seven days Dairyo sat outside and Bankei within.
Finally
in desperation an adherent called loudly to Bankei: "You may be all right,
old teacher, but this young disciple here has to eat. He cannot go without
food forever!"
At that
Bankei opened the door. He was smiling. He told Dairyo: "I insist on
eating the same food as the least of my followers. Whe you become the
teacher I do not want you to forget this." ^
A
student of Tendai, a philosophical school of Buddhism, came to the Zen
abode of Gasan as a pupil. When he was departing a few years later, Gasan
warned him: "Studying the truth speculatively is useful as a way of
collecting preaching material. But remember that unless you meditate
constantly you light of truth may go out." ^
While
Seietsu was the master of Engaku in Kamakura he required larger quarters,
since those in which he was teaching were overcrowded. Umeza Seibei a
merchant of Edo, decided to donate five hundred pieces of gold called ryo
toward the construction of a more commodious school. This money he brought
to the teacher.
Seisetsu said: "All right. I will take it."
Umezu
gave Seisetsu the sack of gold, but he was dissatisfied with the attitude
of the teacher. One might live a whole year on three ryo, and the merchant
had not even been thanked for five hundred.
"In
that sack are five hundred ryo," hinted Umeza.
"You
told me that before," replied Seisetsu.
"Even
if I am a wealthy merchant, five hundred ryo is a lot of money," said
Umezu.
"Do you
want me to thank you for it?" asked Seisetsi.
"You
ought to," replied Umeza.
"Why
should I?" inquired Seisetsu. "The giver should be thankful." ^
Ikkyu,
a famous Zen teacher of the Ashikaga era, was the son of the emperor. When
he was very young, his mother left the palace and went to study Zen in a
temple. In this way Prince Ikkyu also became a student. When this mother
passed on, she left him a letter. It read:
To
Ikkyu:
I have
finished my work in this life and am now returning into Eternity. I wish
you to become a good student and to realize your Buddha-nature. You will
know if I am in hell and whether I am always with you or not.
If you
become a man who realizes that the Buddha and his follower Bodhidharma are
your own servants, you may leave off studying and work for humanity. The
Buddha preached for forty-nine years and in all that time found it not
necessary to speak one word. You ought to know why. But if you don't and
yet wish to, avoid thinking fruitlessly.
Your
Mother,
Not
born, not dead.
September first.
P.S.
The teaching of Buddha was mainly for the purpose of enlightening others.
If you are dependent on any of its methods, you are naught but an ignorant
insect. There are 80,000 books on Buddhism and if you should read all of
them and still not see your own nature, you will not understand even this
letter. This is my will and testament.
^
Taiko,
a warrior who lived in Japan before the Tokugawa era, studied Cha-no-yu,
tea etiquette, with Sen no Rikyu, a teacher of that aesthetical expression
of calmness and contentment.
Taiko's
attendant warrior Kato interpreted his superior's enthusiasm for tea
etiquette as negligence of state affairs, so he decided to kill Sen no
Rikyu. He pretended to make a social call upon the tea-master and was
invited to drink tea.
The
master, who was well skilled in his art, saw at a glance the warrior's
intention, so he invited Kato to leave his sword outside before entering
the room for the ceremony, explaining that Cha-no-yu represents
peacefulness itself.
Kato
would not listen to this. "I am a warrior," he said. "I always have my
sword with me. Cha-no-yu or no Cha-no-yu, I have my sword."
"Very
well. Bring your sword in and have some tea," consented Sen no Rikyu.
The
kettle was boiling on the charcoal fire. Suddenly Sen no Rikyu tipped it
over. Hissing steam arose, filling the room with smoke and ashes. The
startled warrior ran outside.
The
tea-master apologized. "It was my mistake. Come back in and have some tea.
I have your sword here covered with ashes and will clean it and give it to
you."
In this
predicament the warrior realized he could not very well kill the
tea-master, so he gave up the idea. ^
Just
before Ninakawa passed away the Zen master Ikkyu visited him. "Shall I
lead you on?" Ikkyu asked.
Ninakawa replied: "I came here alone and I go alone. What help could you
be to me?"
Ikkyu
answered: "If you think you really come and go, that is your delusion. Let
me show you the path on which there is no coming and going."
With
his words, Ikkyu had revealed the path so clearly that Ninakawa smiled and
passed away. ^
A
soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: "Is there really a
paradise and a hell?"
"Who
are you?" inquired Hakuin.
"I am a
samurai," the warrior replied.
"You, a
soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. "What kind of ruler would have you as his
guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."
Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin
continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to
cut off my head."
As
Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"
At
these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his
sword and bowed.
"Here
open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin. ^
A
merchant bearing fifty rolls of cotton goods on his shoulders stopped to
rest from the heat of the day beneath a shelter where a large stone Buddha
was standing. There he fell asleep, and when he awoke his goods had
disappeared. He immediately reported the matter to the police.
A judge
named O-oka opened court to investigate. "That stone Buddha must have
stolen the goods," concluded the judge. "He is supposed to care for the
welfare of the people, but he has failed to perform his holy duty. Arrest
him."
The
police arrested the stone Buddha and carried it into the court. A noisy
crowd followed the statue, curious to learn what kind of sentence the
judge was about to impose.
When
O-oka appeared on the bench he rebuked the boisterous audience. "What
right have you people to appear before the court laughing and joking in
this manner? You are in contempt of court and subject to a fine and
imprisonment."
The
people hastened to apologize. "I shall have to impose a fine on you," said
the judge, "but I will remit it provided each one of you brings one roll
of cotton goods to the court within three days. Anyone failing to do this
will be arrested."
One of
the rolls of cloth which the people brought was quickly recognized by the
merchant as his own, and thus the thief was easily discovered. The
merchant recovered his goods, and the cotton rolls were returned to the
people. ^
Once a
division of the Japanese army was engaged in a sham battle, and some of
the officers found it necessary to make their headquarters in Gasan's
temple.
Gasan
told his cook: "Let the officers have only the same simple fare we eat."
This
made the army men angry, as they wre used to very deferential treatment.
One came to Gasan and said: "Who do you think we are? We are soldiers,
sacrificing our lives for our country. Why don't you treat us
accordingly?"
Gasan
answered sternly: "Who do you think we are? We are soldiers of humanity,
aiming to save all sentient beings." ^
Zenkai,
the son of a samurai, journeyed to Edo and there became the retainer of a
high official. He fell in love with the official's wife and was
discovered. In self-defence, he slew the official. Then he ran away with
the wife.
Both of
them later became thieves. But the woman was so greedy that Zenkai grew
disgusted. Finally, leaving her, he journeyed far away to the province of
Buzen, where he became a wandering mendicant.
To
atone for his past, Zenkai resolved to accomplish some good deed in his
lifetime. Knowing of a dangerous road over a cliff that had caused death
and injury to many persons, he resolved to cut a tunnel through the
mountain there.
Begging
food in the daytime, Zenkai worked at night digging his tunnel. When
thirty years had gone by, the tunnel was 2,280 feet long, 20 feet high,
and 30 feet wide.
Two
years before the work was completed, the son of the official he had slain,
who was a skillful swordsman, found Zenkai out and came to kill him in
revenge.
"I will
gived you my life willingly," said Zenkai. "Only let me finish this work.
On the day it is completed, then you may kill me."
So the
son awaited the day. Several months passed and Zenkai kept digging. The
son grew tired of doing nothing and began to help with the digging. After
he had helped for more than a year, he came to admire Zenkai's strong will
and character.
At last
the tunnel was completed and the people could use it and travel safely.
"Now
cut off my head," said Zenkai. "My work is done."
"How
can I cut off my own teacher's head?" asked the younger man with tears in
his eyes.
^
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