Rinzai was planting pine trees. Obaku asked him, “Why do you plant so many pines in this remote mountain monastery?” Rinzai answered, “Firstly, they provide good scenery around the monastery gate, and then they are for the benefit of those who come after us,” and struck the ground three times with his hoe. Obaku said, “Although this may be so, I’ll still give you thirty blows of my stick to taste.” Again, Rinzai struck the ground three times with his hoe, sighing deeply. Obaku said, “Through you, our school will flourish throughout the world.”
Commentary:
When Obaku asked Rinzai why he planted so many pines in this remote mountain monastery, he was asking him if he knew that not only the act of planting trees, but also the trees he was planting were the function of the true-Self. Rinzai told Obaku the reason why he was planting trees and made a final answer to Obaku’s question by striking the ground three times with his hoe, by which he meant that everything, including the conversation between them and the act of planting trees, was part of the true-Self, just as striking the ground with his hoe was. Seeing this, Obaku asked for another answer by saying, “Although this may be so, I’ll still give you thirty blows of my stick to taste.” Rinzai didn’t hesitate to respond again by striking the ground three times with his hoe, sighing deeply. Obaku approved his enlightenment.
Student: “Why did Rinzai strike the ground three times?”
Master: “Because you don’t see what he really did.”
Student: “What did he really do?”
Master: “I am showing it now.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
Zen Fools 