Tag: Prayer

Whenever Master Hyakujô delivered a sermon, an old man was always there listening with
the monks. When they left, he left too. One day, however, he remained behind. Hyakujô
asked him, “What man are you, standing there?” The old man replied, ” In the past, in the
time of Kashyapa Buddha, I lived on this mountain as a Zen priest. Once a monk came and
asked me, ‘Does a perfectly enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect or not?’
I said to him, ‘He does not.” Because of this answer, I fell into the state of a fox for 500 lives.
Now, I beg you, Master, please say a turning word.” Hyakujô said, “The law of cause and
effect cannot be obscured.” Upon hearing this, the old man became greatly enlightened.

Yakusan had not ascended the rostrum for a long time. The temple steward said, “All the
assembly has been wishing for instruction for a long time. Please, Master, give your
assembly a sermon.”
Yakusan had the bell rung. The assembly gathered. Yakusan ascended the rostrum and
sat there for a while. Then he descended and returned to his room.
The temple steward followed him and asked, “You said a while ago that you would give the
assembly a sermon. Why didn’t you speak even a word?” Yakusan said, “For sutras, there
are sutra specialists; for sastras3, there are sastra specialists. Why do you have doubts
about this old monk?”

A monk asked Great Master Ba, “Apart from the four Phrases, beyond one hundred Negations, please tell me directly, Master, the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from the West.” Master Ba said, “I am tired today, I can’t explain it to you. Go and ask Chizô.” The monk asked Chizô about it. Chizô said, “Why don’t you ask our master?” The monk said, “He told me to ask you.” Chizô said, “I have a headache today, I can’t explain it to you. Go and ask Brother Kai.” The monk asked Brother Kai about it. Kai said, “I understand nothing about that question.” The monk told Great Master Ba about it. Great Master said, “Chizô’s head is white, Kai’s head is black.”

A monk asked Seigen, “What is the essence of Buddhism?” Seigen said, “What is the price of
rice in Roryô?”

When the World-Honored One was walking with his assembly, he pointed to the ground with
his hand and said, “This place is good for building a temple.” Indra2 took a stalk of grass
and stuck it in the ground and said, “The temple has been built.” The World-Honored One
smiled.