Go Drink Tea!

Dok Sahn Carrying His Bowls

One day, Dok Sahn came into the Dharma Room carrying his bowls. The Housemaster, Sol Bong, said, ”Old Master, the bell has not yet been rung and the drum has not yet been struck. Where are you going, carrying your bowls?” At this, Dok Sahn returned to his room.

Afterwards, Sol Bong told the head monk, Am Du, who then said, “Great Master Dok Sahn does not understand the last word.”

Later Dok Sahn heard of this and sent for Am Du. “Do you not approve of me?” he demanded. Then Am Du whispered in the Master’s ear. Dok Sahn was relieved.

The next day on the rostrum making his Dharma speech, Dok Sahn was really different from before. Then Am Du was very happy. He went to the front of the Dharma room, laughing loudly and clapping his hands, and said, “Great joy! The Old Master has understood the last word. From now on, no one can check him.”

Commentary
Most Zen kong-ans (Japanese: koans) arise from the natural back-and-forth of human relationship. A monk and his teacher are drinking tea when a question arises. A stranger "hits" a practitioner's mind with an unanswerable question.

A smaller set of kong-ans actually explore the intricacies and intimacies of human relationship. Today's kong-an, case 13 in the Wu Men Kuan, begins with an apparent mistake - the Zen master comes to eat a meal at the wrong time. Then another apparent error occurs - the head monk suggests that the teacher's understanding is not complete. Fortunately, things work out in the end. But what got worked out? And how?

All human beings make mistakes. We might wish it otherwise, but there ya go. It's a fact.

One of the things this kong-an reveals is that a mistake itself may not be very interesting; however our response to a mistake matters a great deal.

Today's kong-an might seem obscure, but most of us have encountered cases like this in daily life. The company president makes a mistake and the vice-president must respond. The husband errs and the wife cannot let it slide. A friend corrects a friend's behavior.

In these situations, mistakes get corrected out of  love. This love is not necessarily a feeling-state and certainly has nothing to do with romance; it's simply a genuine commitment to the well-being of another.

And isn't that the essence of human love?

In the Kwan Um School of Zen tradition, teachers typically ask four questions about this case:

1. What is the last word?
2. What did Am Du whisper in the Master's ear?
3. How was the Master's speech different from before?
4. If you were Dok Sahn, and Sol Bong asked you, "Where are you going, carrying your bowls?," how would you answer?

About this case, Zen Master Seung Sahn commented:

Three dogs chase each other's tails in a circle, following the smell, looking for food.

The Bodhisattva of Compassion

In an interview two weeks ago, Tim Lerch, JDPSN, asked:

How tall is the Bodhisattva of Compassion?

Commentary
In the Korean Zen tradition, this is considered an "attack" kong-an. It probes deeply into our attachments and conditioning, creating the opportunity to uproot these hindrances. Most importantly, it thrusts a blow into our dantian - our energy center. If we believe in ourselves 100%, then we'll know how to answer. If our life energy is strong, we might respond with an attack of our own!

Photo by John Wigham

Dropping Ashes on the Buddha

When Zen Master Seung Sahn began teaching in the West, he developed a set of twelve kong-ans called the "Twelve Gates." These cases form the core of the tradition's kong-an training.

Today, I'd like to examine the Sixth Gate, "Dropping Ashes on the Buddha." Here's how the case appears on the school's website:

A man came into the Zen Center smoking a cigarette, blowing smoke in the Buddha-statue's face and dropping ashes on its lap.

The abbot came in, saw the man, and said, "Are you crazy? Why are you dropping ashes on the Buddha?"

The man answered, "Buddha is everything. Why not?"

The abbot couldn't answer and went away.

Zen Master Seung Sahn asked the following questions about this case:

1. "Buddha is everything." What does that mean?

2. Why did the man drop ashes on the Buddha?

3. If you had been the abbot, how could you have fixed this man's mind?

Commentary: How do you meet the Buddha? Where do you throw away ashes? Its all very clear. Your correct function is always in front of you.

Note: There is an important factor in this case that has apparently never been explicitly included in its print versions. Zen Master Seung Sahn has always told his students that the man with the cigarette is also very strong and that he will hit you if he doesn't approve of your response to his actions.

Commentary
The "cigarette man" is a difficult fellow, but not so different from the various difficult people we meet in daily life. Essentially, he's just a person who rains on our parade.

Before we can "fix the cigarette man's mind," we must first perceive how his mind functions.

If we discover that he will accept guidance, then we can guide him. If we discover that he won't accept guidance, then we can guide him out of our lives.

Not everyone will accept good medicine. But we must give it, so that the opportunity for awakening remains open.

Photo by Bruce

Dirty Water

When Chao-chou was traveling around, he came for an interview with Lin-chi. Lin-chi was just then washing his feet.

Chao-chou asked, "What did the Patriarch have in mind when he came from the west?"

Lin-chi said, "As it happens, I'm just now washing my feet."

Chao-chou came close and made as though listening.

Lin-chi said, "All right then, I'll throw out a second dipperful of dirty water!"

With that, Chao-chou turned and left.

Commentary
The smell alone should have told Chao-chou that trouble was coming. If only he had trusted his nose instead of his ears.

Source: The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-chi, translated by Burton Watson
Photo by Gill Poole. The photo is of Christ washing his disciples' feet, a detail from a mural at Trinity College, Kandy.

Front Gate

This post is for Jordan Fountain, author of Succession of Insights, who recently received a promotion in rank.

One time Lin-chi entered a Marines ("army") encampment to attend a dinner when he saw one of the officers at the gate.

He pointed to the bare wooden gatepost and said, "A common mortal or a sage?"

The officer had no reply.

Lin-chi struck the gatepost and said, "Even if you managed a reply, it would still be just a wooden post!" With that, he entered the camp.

Commentary
A promotion in rank won't confuse Lin-chi. And, no matter what our rank, a wooden post remains a wooden post.

Source: The Zen Teachings of Master Lin-chi, translated by Burton Watson
Photo by Dawn Endico

A Blade of Grass

The World Honored One was walking with the congregation. He stopped and pointed to the ground and said, "This is a good place to build a sanctuary."

Indra, King of the Gods, took a blade of grass, stuck it in the ground and said, "The sanctuary is built."

The World Honored One smiled.

Commentary

How can you find shelter under a blade of grass?

Source: Book of Serenity, translated by Thomas Cleary
Photo by Evan Leeson

Where is Buddha's Teaching?

I published this story on Ox Herding several weeks ago, but it's worth revisiting.

A monk once asked Man Gong, "Where is the Buddha's teaching?"

Man Gong replied, "Right in front of you."

The monk then said, "You say, 'Right in front of you,' but I don't see it."

"You make I," answered Man Gong, "so you don't see it."

The monk asked him, "Do you see it, Master?"

Man Gong responded, "If you make I, it's difficult to see it. But if you make you, it's even more difficult to see it."

Comment
We're profoundly uncomfortable in our lives and so we look around for a better way. In our search, we bring along all kinds of tools, including "me" and "you."

Man Gong Sunim strips away every tool, including our most cherished "I." Then what?

Image by Tom

Clouds and Rain

Yun-men addressed his students and said, "The old Buddhas and the pillar merge - on what level of mental activity is this?"

Answering for them, he said, "Clouds gather over North Mountain; rain falls on South Mountain."

Commentary
Clouds and rain come from where?

Source: Original Dwelling Place, by Robert Aitken, Roshi. Originally from the Blue Cliff Record.
Photo by Ferran Jorda

Lunchtime

P'u-hua was eating lunch and, upon seeing him, Lin-chi said, "P'u-hua is an ass!"

P'u-hua then brayed like an ass.

Lin-chi said nothing more.

P'u-hua said, "That bastard Lin-chi has only one eye."

The master [Lin-chi] later said, "He [P'u-hua] was simply offering the fodder of his own nature."

Commentary
Mistake after mistake. If we listen to these old men, how will we ever get a full stomach?

Source: The Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Joshu, translated by James Green
Photo by Lisa Stevens

What Is This?

Zen Master Kyong Ho (1849 - 1912) was the grand-teacher of Zen Master Seung Sahn. When he was dying, he summoned two of his students, Man Gong and Su Wol, and wrote his death poem:

The moonlight of clear mind
Swallows the whole world;
When mind and light both go out
What is this?

Commentary
Aaaaaaahhhhh . . .

Source: Zen Sourcebook, edited by Stephen Addiss
Photo by Paul