CASE 96: Kyûhô Does Not Acknowledge

Kyûhô served Sekisô as his attendant.

After Sekisô’s passing, the assembly wanted to make their head monk the abbot of the temple. Kyûhô would not acknowledge him.

He said, “Wait till I examine him. If he understands our late master’s spirit and intention, I will serve him as I served our late master.”

So he asked the head monk, “Our late master said,

Have been totally ceased;
Have been totally extinguished;
[Have become a cool land of desolation;] 82
Have had only one awareness for ten thousand years;
Have become cold ashes and a withered tree;
Have become a vertical stripe83 of white silk.’

Tell me, what sort of matter did he clarify with this?”

The head monk said, “He clarified the matter of absolute Oneness.”

Ho said, “If so, you have not yet understood our late master’s spirit.”

The head monk said, “Don’t you acknowledge me? Pass me incense.”

He lit the incense and said, “If I had not understood our late master’s spirit, I would not be able to pass away while the smoke of this incense rises.”

No sooner had he said this than he expired while sitting in zazen.

Kyûhô caressed his back and said, “Dying while sitting or standing is not impossible. But you could not even dream of our late master’s spirit.”