A. Master: “It’s in the Buddha hall.”
Student: “Isn’t it just a statue made of clay?”
Master: “Yes, it is.”
Student: “What is Buddha then?”
Master: “It’s in the Buddha hall.”
Commentary:
It is a top secret.
Keep away all your acquaintances when looking and listening.
Look and listen by yourself.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Master: “It is not difficult to say, but I wonder if you will believe what I say.”
Student: “Of course, I will believe what you say.”
Master: “I am your son.”
Commentary:
Master’s answer breaks all the world into pieces.
Who is master’s mother when he is older than his father?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. One is so blind that he can’t see his mother before him and so deaf that he can’t hear a crack of thunder.
The other is so sharp-sighted that he can see an ant in a forest thousands of miles away and so sharp-eared that he can hear an ant moving in a forest thousands of miles away.
Which is the greater of the two?
Each of us belongs to either of them.
Which do you belong to?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Student: “I’m fifty years old.”
Master: “How old is fifty years?”
Student: “I don’t know.”
Master: “How come you still don’t know your age?”
Student: “How old are you, Sir?”
Master: “Eighty years old.”
Student: “How old is eighty years?”
Master: “Eight times ten is eighty.”
Commentary:
Don’t think that the student’s right answer is five times ten.
The curved can’t contain the straight.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Student: “What is pure mind?”
Master: “Rotten shit.”
Student: “What is dirty mind?”
Master: “Beautiful flowers.”
Commentary:
Don’t aim at the shadow on the ground of a game bird when it has flown away high in the sky.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. People think that a cow is very beneficial and that a snake is very harmful because the former gives us milk, sometimes working power and even gives its body as food, but the latter makes poison and can harm us with it. It is said that we should be altruistic like a cow.
A cow has no intention to sacrifice itself to help people although it produces milk and has a huge body and a lot of power.
A snake has no intention to harm people although it produces poison.
It is only because of people’s discrimination that a cow is helpful and a snake is harmful.
What would they think of people?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Student: “Yes, Sir.”
Master: “Do you know your wife?”
Student: “Of course, Sir. I share the same bed with her.”
Master: “How many hairs does she have on her head?”
Student: “I don’t know. How could I know that?”
Master: “Don’t say that you know your wife then.”
Commentary:
Don’t try to extract juice by squeezing dry sticks.
The number of the fingers of a hand is five.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Master: “Waves never leave the sea.”
Commentary:
Winds never return to air because they never leave air.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Master: “Live in the land without light and shade.”
Student: “Where is the land?”
Master: “There.”
Student: “Where is there?”
Master: “There.”
Commentary:
You don’t have to dig the earth for gold with your hands full of gold.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
A. Master: “What do you think it is?”
Student: “I have no idea.”
Master: “You are right.”
Commentary:
Master opens the shell and offers the flesh.
Why do you try in vain to eat only the hard shell?
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
Zen Fools 