Master Joshu said to an assembly, “The true-Self is just like a bead in one’s hand. It reflects a bird when a bird comes to it and reflects a lion when a lion comes to it. I use a blade of grass as the Buddha and use the Buddha as a blade of grass. The Buddha is an illusion, and an illusion is the Buddha.”
Then, a monk asked, “I don’t know whose illusion the Buddha is.” Joshu said, “Everyone’s illusion.”
The monk said, “How can I avoid it?” Joshu said, “Why are you going to avoid it?”
Student: “What is the bead in my hand?”
Master: “You can’t put it down even for a moment.”
Student: “How does it reflect?”
Master: “What do you see now?”
Commentary:
The bead reflects everything, but it neither names nor discriminates for or against anything.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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