Author: Zen Fools

A. Buddhism never says that ignorance is sin but says that it is the seed of wisdom because it can turn into wisdom through practice. According to Buddhism, there is neither sin nor any almighty being who punishes us for our sin. It says that sentient beings struggle to escape from the many kinds of imaginary ropes that they tied themselves with, one of which is a rope of sin.

To make matters worse, ignorant people worship and pray to the imaginary Buddha that doesn’t exist to free them from the ropes, which is rather to add another rope to existing ones. That is, the ignorant are haunted by the illusion of sin. This is why Bodhidharma said that there is sin when we are ignorant but that there is no sin when we can see things as they are. The purpose of Buddhism is to help people to escape from the ropes by realising that they are not real but just illusionary.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Joshu asked a monk, “Have you been here?” The monk answered, “Yes, I have.” Joshu responded, “Drink a cup of tea.” Joshu asked another monk, “Have you been here?” The monk said, “No, I’ve not.”  Joshu said to him, “Drink a cup of tea.”

Student: “Why did Joshu only say, ‘Drink a cup of tea’?”

Master: “Because he had nothing else to say.”

Commentary:

Trying to understand what is beyond words through words is making medicine into illness.  

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Later, Issan mentioned this story to Gyosan and asked, “Did Obaku at that time entrust the transmission to Rinzai alone, or did he have someone else in mind?” Gyosan answered, “Yes, he had; only I do not want to tell you as it is still far ahead in the future.” Issan said, “Although this may be so, I’d still like to know. Please tell me.” Gyosan said, “A man will head South, where his orders will be put into force in Go and Etsu (old Chinese provinces). There he will meet a great wind, and then he will stop.” (This is said to be a prophesy concerning Fuketsu, ‘Wind-Cave’ — a master in the fourth generation after Rinzai.)

Commentary:

Later, Issan mentioned this story to Gyosan, one of his disciples and asked, “Did Obaku at that time entrust the transmission to Rinzai alone, or did he have someone else in mind?” Issan is asking Gyosan if he knew that it is impossible to transmit the true-Self to someone in the same way as we do things. When Gyosan answered, “Yes, he had; only I do not want to tell you as it is still far ahead in the future” he meant, “Whatever I say is only the function of the true-Self, and it can neither be divided nor transmitted, or transferred.” When Issan said, “Although this may be so, I’d still like to know. Please tell me” he was testing Gyosan to see whether or not he could reveal the true-Self by saying what is beyond words. Sensing his master’s intention, Gyosan made a long statement, by which he meant that he was not deluded by words, no matter what he said.

Student: “How can I say what is beyond words?”

Master: “Hear what is beyond words.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. Well no, because one is the evening star, and one is the morning star. Buddhism says that we should not be deluded by words, names because they are no more than imaginary labels used to classify things, not the essence of the things. In the same way, the evening star and the morning star are merely names. More strictly speaking, even if scientists, after studying and analysing the star, describe it with a lot of chemical and astronomical terms, all the terms used to identity the star are nothing but imaginary labels created by human beings.

The star has never itself said that it is a star, or that it consists of any such chemical elements. The star, whether the morning star or the evening star, is a star not because it is a star in essence, but because we human beings think of it as a star and call it as such. This is why the Buddha said, “Although I’ve attained enlightenment due to the star, it is not a star any longer after enlightenment.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A heretic asked the Buddha, “What dharma did you say yesterday?” The Buddha answered, “I said fixed dharma yesterday.” The heretic said, “What dharma did you say today?” The Buddha said, “I said unfixed dharma today.” The heretic said, “You preached fixed dharma yesterday. Why did you preach unfixed dharma today?” The Buddha said, “Yesterday I said fixed dharma and unfixed dharma today.”

Student: “What is the fixed dharma?”

Master: “Everything is empty.”

Student: “What is the unfixed dharma?”

Master: “Everything is empty.”

Commentary:

Unfixed dharma is to fixed dharma as salt is to sea water.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

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

A. Our views are neither truly our own nor simply inherited, but rather a combination of them. No one can be free from the influence of the environments and societies we live our lives in. We produce our views depending on where we live, how we were brought up, how we were educated and what we believe in, together with the information we are given and the context of our viewing.

We see things from these views and create new views. This is why each of us can have different perspectives about the same thing, or the same problem. These views can change through time and circumstance. These views are referred to as illusions in Buddhism.  The capacity to see and hear things without being influenced by these illusions is referred to as enlightenment.

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All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Master Yabo said, “Don’t try to make it even by cutting it. This will make it much more uneven.

Even though you try to cut it, it won’t break.”

Student: “How can we make it even?”

Master: “Leave it alone.”

Commentary:

Don’t mistake the even for the uneven.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Later, Issan mentioned this story to Gyosan and asked him, “At that time, was it from Daigu or from Obaku that Rinzai acquired his strength?” Gyosan said, “He not only knew how to ride the tiger, but he also knew how to grab its tail.”

Commentary:

Issan tested Gyosan, his student by asking whether Rinzai had attained his enlightenment from Daigu, or Obaku. Gyosan made a beautiful answer without being deluded by Issan’s words by saying, “He not only knew how to ride the tiger, but he also knew how to grab its tail.” Gyosan meant that Rinzai, having transcended the illusions of Daigu and Obaku, could not only see the true-Self clearly but also reveal it at his will.

Student: “How can I ride the tiger?”

Master: “Can you dismount from it?”

Student: “How can I grab its tail?”

Master: “Let go of it.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. It is not physical light that comes from fire, or electricity but the ability to see and hear things as they are without attaching any names to them. To those who can see things as they are, there is no distance and no difference between darkness and lightness. Seeing what is before their eyes is not different from seeing what is thousands of miles away, nor is seeing darkness different from seeing light. So, the Buddha’s light is another name of the eye of wisdom, enlightenment.

Student: “What is the eye of wisdom?”

Master: “It can see behind you without turning your head.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway