Author: Zen Fools

Xuansha’s “The Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of Sutras”

Xuansha was once asked by a monastic, “The Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of Sutras are unnecessary. What is the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from India?”
Xuansha said, “The Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of Sutras are totally unnecessary.”

Student: “Why did Xuansha say that The Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of Sutras were unnecessary even though they are all Buddha’s teaching?”
Master: “Because that is the core of The Three Vehicles and the Twelve Divisions of Sutras.”

Commentary:
When Buddha is no longer Buddha and the Sutras are no longer the Sutras, we will see Buddha.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Rinzai 24

I say it clearly as it is – to understand or not to understand, both are mistaken. People can sneer at me as they like. I have kept you standing for a long time. Take care of yourselves.”

Commentary:
This scripture means, “I always reveal the true-Self clearly, but you are wrong, regardless of whether you understand it or not, if you try to understand it through your knowledge by following words. When you realise the true-Self, there is nothing to understand, or not to understand because everything becomes one, or non-duality as Emptiness. If there is something to understand or not to understand, it is not non-duality as Emptiness since there are subject, you and object, something you do or do not understand.
People can sneer at me as they like when they don’t grasp what I mean since my words and actions might appear to make no sense at all to them when they are deluded by my words, or actions.”

Student: “If both understanding and not understanding are wrong, how should we accept masters’ words and actions?”
Master: “Don’t take them as words and actions.”
Student: “How then?”
Master: “Both understanding and not understanding are right.”

©Boo Ahm

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Q. Is it preferable not to have children for better practice? When I was single, my practice was very good. But after marriage I can’t practise as hard as before marriage.

A. You seem to think that you won’t be able to practise as usual when you have children, because you have to allocate time and attention to them, rather than your practice. You can have such an idea when you think that practice is only sitting upright in a quiet place.

You should know that keeping curiosity about what is driving your body to do what you are doing is no other than practice. When eating, ask yourself what is making your body eat. When struggling with your children, ask yourself what is controlling your body then. If you can practise in this way, you can’t stop practising even for a moment whatever you may do. Having children might change the manner of your practice but can never shorten the time of your practice if you are determined to continue it.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Xuefeng’s Rice Field

One day Xuefeng said to the assembly, “What we are talking about is like a rice field. It is dependent upon the people ploughing the fields and planting the seeds. Do not miss receiving this gift.”
Xuansha said, “Then what is the rice field itself?”
Xuefeng said, “Look!”
Xuansha said, “Although what you say is correct, I wouldn’t say it that way.”
Xuefeng said, “Then how would you say it?”
Xuansha said, “One by one, each and every person.”

Student: “What is the gift that Xuefeng mentioned?”
Master: “You already missed it.”
Student: “Why did Xuefeng say, ‘Look’ and Xuansha say, ‘One by one, each and every person’ to the same question?”
Master: “What is two plus three?”
Student: “Five.”
Master: “I wouldn’t say it that way.”
Student: “Then how would you say?”
Master: “One plus four, or six minus one.”

Commentary:
See what is the same beyond what looks different.
Hear what is the same beyond what sounds different.

©Boo Ahm

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Rinzai 23

Then the master said, “Whoever comes to me, I do not fail to recognise him. I know where he comes from. If he comes like this, it is as if he lost himself. If he does not come like this, it is as if he bound himself without ropes. Beware of random judgments.”

Commentary:
The scripture ‘Whoever comes to me, I do not fail to recognise him. I know where he comes from’ is similar to the scripture by Buddha in Diamond Sutra ‘I can see all sentient beings’ minds because their minds are not mind’. Buddha meant that he could see all sentient beings’ minds since he knew that they are all empty and could see them as empty. In other words, this means that Rinzai is never deluded by illusions, whoever comes to him, whatever they say and whatever they do because he can see everything as empty.

Realising that everything is empty is said to be attaining the eye of heaven, or the eye of wisdom with which you can see anything anytime, whatever it may be and no matter where it is. This means that when everything is empty, seeing a mug before you is not different form seeing a beautiful flower on a mountain hundreds of miles away, or a huge building in a city on the other side of the earth because they are all empty.

Rinzai said, “If he comes like this, it is as if he lost himself. If he does not come like this, it is as if he bound himself without ropes,” in order to check whether the monk could see everything as empty just as Rinzai himself could. He was asking, “Do you know that this is the true-Self you are anxious to see?” whilst revealing the true-Self. To prevent the monk from clinging to words, he added as a hint, “Beware of random judgement.”

Student: “If both ‘coming like this’ and ‘not coming like this’ are wrong, how should we come?”
Master: “Don’t make a random judgement but look beneath your feet.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Q. With the advancement of science, it seems likely that indefinite longevity will be possible sooner or later. If science advances limitlessly, isn’t God’s existence denied?

A. If as the Bible says, God is the creator of all things in the universe, then there is nothing that is not God’s will. Why don’t you think that not only the limitless advance of science but also the indefinite longevity of humans is the product of God’s will? Why do you think that God doesn’t want us to enjoy a long life? Christianity itself says that we should attain eternal life.

Why don’t you think that all these are evidence that proves God’s existence? All these are no other than evidence that God is not separate from but one with humanity, just as John 14:20 in the Bible says, “I am in you and you are in me.” This worry you are showing regarding the future of humanity is also not out of God’s will. You should rather try to know what God is than be worried that His existence is denied.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Panshan’s “Cut a Fine Piece”

Once Zen master Panshan went to the marketplace and overheard a customer speaking to the butcher. The customer said to the butcher, “Cut a fine piece for me. The butcher threw down his knife, folded his hands, and said, “Sir, is there any piece that is not fine?” Upon hearing these words, Panshan had an awakening.

Student: “How could Panshan have an awakening upon hearing the butcher saying, ‘Sir, is there any piece that is not fine?’?”
Master: “He saw the fine piece.”
Student: “Why couldn’t the butcher and the customer have an awakening even though they saw the same thing?”
Master: “Everybody can see it, but few can recognise it.”
Student: “What is the fine piece?”
Master: “It can’t be cut.”

Commentary:
The fine piece is sometimes hard, sometimes soft, sometimes tough, sometimes tender, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, sometimes long and sometimes short but it can’t be cut or broken.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Rinzai 22

One asked, “When the lay brother was treading the mill stone in the grinding room, where was he when he forgot to move his feet?”
The master replied, “Drowned in a deep spring.”

Commentary:
‘The lay brother’ here means Master Sun-do, one of the ancient Chinese masters. When he taught his students, he once said, “When I as a layman was treading the mill stone in the grinding room, I forgot to move my feet.”

The monk asked master Rinzai what state Master Sun-do had been in when he had forgotten to move his feet. When Rinzai answered this question by saying, “Drowned in a deep spring”, he compared Emptiness to a deep spring where there is no mill stone, no grinding room, no feet, no movement, no layman and no master.

Student: “What is the deep spring like?”
Master: “Bottomless.”
Student: “How does it taste?”
Master: “Bitter.”
Student: “What happens to those who drink it?”
Master: “All die.”
Student: “Who can drink it?”
Master: “Thank you for bringing it.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Q. What does ‘living in the present moment without living in the future or in the past’ mean? Is it the same as what Zen meditation pursues?

A. Don’t be deluded by a likely story. Who on earth can live in the past? If it were possible to live in the past, many old people would return to their past and enjoy their youth. If we could live in the future, many of us would visit the future and fix, or solve the problems that will happen in advance. If these things were possible, why wouldn’t we do them?

In fact, no one can do this. If you happen to try not to live in the future, or in the past, you are losing time making a futile effort. Even though you are suffering from the regret of your past, you are suffering in the present moment. Even if you spend time worrying about the future, it is in the present moment that you have a hard time worrying. No matter how hard you may struggle, you cannot escape the present moment.

What they mean is that you should pay all your attention to what you are doing at the moment without wasting your attention regretting the mistakes, or errors of your past, because they can’t be undone whatever you may do. Similarly, you should not worry about the future that is yet to come. To make a long story short, it means that you should pay all your attention just to what you are doing when you are doing something.

What Zen meditation pursues is to realise that time is just imaginary lines, not real and that there is no past, no present and no future and that you are eternity itself.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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Zhaozhou’s “Carry It with You”

Yanyang Shanxin asked Zhaozhou, “How is it when nothing comes up?”
Zhaozhou said, “Cast it off.”
Yanyang said, “When nothing comes up, how can you cast it off?”
Zhaozhou said, “Then carry it with you.”

Student: “What should we cast off when nothing comes up?”
Master: “Nothing.”
Student: “How can we cast off nothing?”
Master: “Without nothing, how could you ask me about nothing?”

Commentary:
Thinking that nothing comes up is the other side of the illusion that something comes up.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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