The CMJ Experience

GOSA HOYEN USED TO SAY: 'WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT ZEN IS LIKE I TELL THEM THIS STORY:' NOTICING THAT HIS FATHER WAS GROWING OLD, THE SON OF A BURGLAR ASKED HIS FATHER TO TEACH HIM THE TRADE SO THAT HE COULD CARRY ON THE FAMILY BUSINESS AFTER HIS FATHER HAD RETIRED. THE FATHER AGREED, AND THAT NIGHT THEY BROKE INTO A HOUSE TOGETHER. OPENING A LARGE CHEST THE FATHER TOLD HIS SON TO GO IN _ AND PICK OUT THE CLOTHING. AS SOON AS THE BOY WAS INSIDE, THE FATHER LOCKED THE CHEST AND THEN MADE A LOT OF NOISE SO THAT THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS AROUSED. THEN HE SLIPPED QUIETLY AWAY. LOCKED INSIDE THE CHEST THE BOY WAS ANGRY, TERRIFIED, AND PUZZLED AS TO HOW HE WAS GOING TO GET OUT. THEN AN IDEA FLASHED TO HIM -- HE MADE A NOISE LIKE A CAT. THE FAMILY TOLD A MAID TO TAKE A CANDLE AND EXAMINE THE CHEST. WHEN THE LID WAS UNLOCKED THE BOY JUMPED OUT, BLEW OUT THE CANDLE, PUSHED HIS WAY PAST THE ASTONISHED MAID, AND RAN OUT. THE PEOPLE RAN AFTER HIM. NOTICING A WELL BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE BOY THREW IN A LARGE STONE, THEN HID IN THE DARKNESS. THE PURSUERS GATHERED AROUND THE WELL TRYING TO SEE THE BURGLAR DROWNING HIMSELF. WHEN THE BOY GOT HOME HE WAS VERY ANGRY AT HIS FATHER AND HE TRIED TO TELL HIM THE STORY; BUT THE FATHER SAID: 'DON'T BOTHER TO TELL ME THE DETAILS, YOU ARE HERE -- YOU HAVE LEARNED THE ART.'

Not Knowing Is the Most Intimate

THE ANCIENTS SAID: "(SELF-)CULTIVATION TAKES AN UNIMAGINABLE TIME (WHILE) ENLIGHTENMENT IN AN INSTANT IS ATTAINED." IF THE TRAINING IS EFFICIENT, ENLIGHTENMENT WILL BE ATTAINED IN ONE FINGERSNAP. IN DAYS GONE BY CH'AN MASTER HUI CHUEH OF LANG YEH MOUNTAIN, HAD A DISCIPLE WHO CALLED ON HIM FOR INSTRUCTION. THE MASTER TAUGHT HER TO EXAMINE INTO THE SENTENCE: "TAKE NO NOTICE." SHE FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTION STRICTLY WITHOUT BACKSLIDING. ONE DAY HER HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE, BUT SHE SAID: "TAKE NO NOTICE." ANOTHER DAY, HER SON FELL INTO THE WATER AND WHEN A BYSTANDER CALLED HER, SHE SAID: "TAKE NO NOTICE." SHE OBSERVED EXACTLY HER MASTER'S INSTRUCTION BY LAYING DOWN ALL CASUAL THOUGHTS. ONE DAY, AS HER HUSBAND LIT THE FIRE TO MAKE FRITTERS OF TWISTED DOUGH, SHE THREW INTO THE PAN FULL OF BOILING (VEGETABLE) OIL A BATTER WHICH MADE A NOISE. UPON HEARING THE NOISE, SHE WAS INSTANTLY ENLIGHTENED. THEN SHE THREW THE PAN OF OIL ON THE GROUND, CLAPPED HER HANDS AND LAUGHED. THINKING SHE WAS INSANE, HER HUSBAND SCOLDED HER AND SAID: "WHY DO YOU DO THIS? ARE YOU MAD?" SHE REPLIED: "TAKE NO NOTICE." THEN SHE WENT TO THE MASTER HUI CHUEH AND ASKED HIM TO VERIFY HER ACHIEVEMENT. THE MASTER CONFIRMED THAT SHE HAD OBTAINED THE HOLY FRUIT. THERE ARE TWO PATHS TO THE ULTIMATE TRUTH.

Try It My Way

DOGO HAD A DISCIPLE CALLED SOSHIN. WHEN SOSHIN WAS TAKEN IN AS A NOVICE, IT WAS PERHAPS NATURAL OF HIM TO EXPECT LESSONS IN ZEN FROM HIS TEACHER THE WAY A SCHOOLBOY IS TAUGHT AT SCHOOL. BUT DOGO GAVE HIM NO SPECIAL LESSONS ON THE SUBJECT, AND THIS BEWILDERED AND DISAPPOINTED SOSHIN. ONE DAY HE SAID TO THE MASTER, "IT IS SOME TIME SINCE I CAME HERE, BUT NOT A WORD HAS BEEN GIVEN ME REGARDING THE ESSENCE OF THE ZEN TEACHING." DOGO REPLIED, "SINCE YOUR ARRIVAL I HAVE EVER BEEN GIVING YOU LESSONS ON THE MATTER OF ZEN DISCIPLINE." "WHAT KIND OF LESSON COULD IT HAVE BEEN?" "WHEN YOU BRING ME A CUP OF TEA IN THE MORNING, I TAKE IT; WHEN YOU SERVE ME A MEAL, I ACCEPT IT; WHEN YOU BOW TO ME, I RETURN IT WITH A NOD. HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPECT TO BE TAUGHT IN THE DISCIPLINE OF ZEN?" SOSHIN HUNG HIS HEAD FOR A WHILE, PONDERING THE PUZZLING WORDS OF THE MASTER. THE MASTER SAID, "IF YOU WANT TO SEE, SEE RIGHT AT ONCE. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO THINK, YOU MISS THE POINT."

Dying into the Master

ONE DAY THE KING OF YEN VISITED THE MASTER CHAO CHOU, WHO DID NOT EVEN GET UP WHEN HE SAW HIM COMING. THE KING ASKED, "WHICH IS HIGHER, A WORLDLY KING, OR THE 'KING OF DHARMA'?" CHAO CHOU REPLIED, "AMONG HUMAN KINGS I AM HIGHER; AMONG THE KINGS OF DHARMA I AM ALSO HIGHER." HEARING THIS SURPRISING ANSWER, THE KING WAS VERY PLEASED. THE NEXT DAY A GENERAL CAME TO VISIT CHAO CHOU, WHO NOT ONLY GOT UP FROM HIS SEAT WHEN HE SAW THE GENERAL COMING, BUT ALSO SHOWED HIM MORE HOSPITALITY IN EVERY WAY THAN HE HAD SHOWN TO THE KING. AFTER THE GENERAL HAD LEFT, CHAO CHOU'S ATTENDANT MONKS ASKED HIM, "WHY DID YOU GET UP FROM YOUR SEAT WHEN A PERSON OF LOWER RANK CAME TO SEE YOU, YET DID NOT DO SO FOR ONE OF THE HIGHEST RANK?" CHAO CHOU REPLIED, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHEN PEOPLE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY COME TO SEE ME, I DO NOT GET UP FROM MY SEAT; WHEN THEY ARE OF MIDDLE QUALITY, I DO; BUT WHEN THEY ARE OF THE LOWEST QUALITY, I GO OUTSIDE OF THE GATE TO RECEIVE THEM."

Neti Neti

ASCENDING TO THE HIGH SEAT, DOGEN ZENJI SAID: "ZEN MASTER HOGEN STUDIED WITH KEISHIN ZENJI. ONCE KEISHIN ZENJI ASKED HIM, JOZA, WHERE DO YOU GO?' HOGEN SAID. 'I AM MAKING PILGRIMAGE AIMLESSLY.' KEISHIN SAID, 'WHAT IS THE MATTER OF YOUR PILGRIMAGE?' HOGEN SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW.' KEISHIN SAID, 'NOT KNOWING IS THE MOST INTIMATE.' HOGEN SUDDENLY ATTAINED GREAT ENLIGHTENMENT."

Just a Hotch-Potch