Is there any teaching no master has ever preached before?
A monk asked Nansen, “Is there any teaching no master has ever preached before?”
Nansen replied, “Yes, there is.” “What is it?” asked the monk. Nansen answered, “It is not mind, it is not Buddha, it is not things.”
Student: “Other masters also said, ‘It is not mind, it is not Buddha, it is not things’ earlier than Nansen did. Why did he think that no other master had not preached that before?”
Master: “His saying was wrongly reported.”
Student: “What did he say then?”
Master: “He said, ‘It is mind, it is Buddha, it is things’.”
Student: “They were also mentioned by other masters.”
Master: “Don’t be friends with those who report wrongly.”
Commentary:
A tree is known by its fruit, and a man by his friends.
It is because man doesn’t know who is good and who is bad that he is friends with bad people.
Don’t try to distinguish good friends from bad friends.
Having no friends is better than having good friends.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway http://ow.ly/i/wmGno
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