Tag: Prayer

Attendant Kaku asked Tokusan, “Where have all the past saints gone?” Tokusan said, “What? What?” Kaku said, ” I gave the command for an excellent horse like a flying dragon to spring forth, but there came out only a lame tortoise.” Tokusan was silent. The next day, when Tokusan came out of the bath, Kaku served him tea. Tokusan passed his hand gently over Kaku’s back. Kaku said, “This old fellow has gotten a glimpse for the first time.” Again, Tokusan was silent.

When Rinzai was about to die, he entrusted Sanshô with his Dharma and said, “After my passing, do not destroy my treasury of the Eye of the true Dharma4.”

Sanshô said, “How would I dare destroy your treasury of the Eye of the true Dharma?”

Rinzai said, “If someone asks you about it, how will you answer?” Sanshô instantly shouted his Kaatz.

Rinzai said, “Who knows that my treasury of the Eye of the true Dharma has been destroyed by this blind donkey?”

Jizô asked Shuzanshu, “Where have you come from?’ Shuzanshu said, “I have come from
the South.” Jizô said, “How is Buddhism in the South these days?” Shuzanshu said,
“There is much lively discussion.” Jizô said, “How could that match with our planting the
rice field here and making rice-balls to eat?” Shuzanshu said, “How could you then save the
beings of the Three Worlds?” Jizô said, “What do you call ‘the Three Worlds’?”

Great Master Unmon said, “When the light does not penetrate, there are two diseases. Everything is unclear and things hang before you – this is one disease. Even after you have realized the emptiness of all things, somehow you feel as if there were still something there. This shows that the light has not yet penetrated thoroughly. “Also there are two diseases concerning the Dharma-body. You have reached the Dharma-body, but you remain attached to the Dharma and cannot extinguish your own view; therefore you lead a corrupt life around the Dharma-body – this is one disease. Suppose you have truly penetrated to the end, if you give up further efforts, it will not do. You examine yourself minutely and say you have no flaw — this is nothing but a disease.”