Tag: Zen

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.

A king of Eastern India invited the twenty-seventh patriarch, Prajna Tara, for a meal. The
king asked, “Why don’t you recite sutras?” The patriarch said, “The poor way1 does not stay
in the world of subject when breathing in, and has nothing to do with the world of objects
when breathing out. I am always reciting the suchness-sutra in millions and millions of
volumes.”

Emperor Bu of Ryô asked Great Master Bodhidharma, “What is the highest meaning of the
holy reality?” Bodhidharma replied, “Vast and void, no holiness.” The emperor said, “Who
are you in front of me?” Bodhidharma said, “I don’t know.” The emperor did not match him.
Finally, Bodhidharma crossed the Yangtze River and came to the Shôrin Temple. There he
sat for nine years, facing the wall.

One day, the World-Honored One ascended to the rostrum. Manjusri struck the table with the gavel and said, “Contemplate clearly the Dharma of the Dharma-King! the Dharma of the Dharma-King is like this.” Thereupon, the World-Honored one descended from the rostrum.