Once upon a time in China many monastics wanted to go to Mt. Ohdae that was famous as a place where Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom resided. There lived an old lady at the foot of the mountain. Whenever a monastic asked her the way to the mountain, she answered, “Go straight.” Seeing the monastic go straight just as she had told him to, she said behind him, “A normal monastic goes in such way again.” When one of Joshu’s students told Joshu about the lady, Joshu said, “Ok, I’ll go and check her” and went to her and asked her, “What is the way to Mt. Ohdae?”. The lady made the same answer ‘Go straight’. Seeing Joshu leaving her place, she said again, “A normal monastic goes in such way again.” Joshu returned to his temple and said to his students, “I checked her.”
Student: “How did Joshu check her?”
Master: “He checked you.”
Commentary:
Joshu didn’t go to Mt. Ohdae to check the old lady but to check you.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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