An introduction to Zen Buddhism

THE KOAN

"IfSO,tellmehowitis,"demandedthemaster.

Kyogenthenbroughthimacupoftea.

Yisanremarked:"Oyoutwomonks,whatintelligentfellows

you are! Yourwisdom and miraculousdeeds indeedsurpass

thoseofSariputraandMaudgalyayana!"

Sekiso(Shih-shuang)diedandhisfollowersthoughtthatthe

headmonkoughttosucceedhim.ButKyuho(Chin-feng),who

hadbeenanattendanttothelatemaster,said:"Wait,Ihave

aquestion,andthesuccessoroughttobeabletoanswerit.The

oldmasterusedtoteachusthus:'Stopallyourhankerings;be

likecoldashes and witheredplants; keepthe mouth tightly

closeduntil mouldgrowsabout it;belike pure whitelinen,

thoroughlyimmaculate;beascoldanddeadasacenserina

desertedshrine.'Howisthistobeunderstood?"

"This,"saidtheheadmonk,"illustratesastateofabsolute

annihilation."

"There,youutterlyfailtograspthemeaning."

"DoI? Ifso,have an incense-sticklighted; ifI donot

reallyunderstandtheoldmaster,Ishallnotbeabletoenter

intoatrancebeforethestickbumsup."

Sosaying,theheadmonkfellintoastateofunconsciousness

fromwhichheneverarose.Strokingthebackofhisdeparted

fellow-monk,Kyuhosaid,"Astogettingintoatranceyouhave

shown a splendid example, butas to understanding the old

masteryouhavejustthesamesignificantlyfailed." Thiswell

illustrates the fact that Zen is entirely different from being

absorbedinnothingness.

The numberofkoans is traditionally estimated at 1,700,

which, however, is a verygenerous wayofcounting them.

Forallpracticalpurposes,lessthanten,orevenlessthanfive,

orjustonemaybesufficienttoopenone'smindtotheultimate

truth of Zen. A thoroughgoing enlightenment, however, is

attainedonlythroughthemostself-sacrificingapplicationofthe

mind,supp>ortedby aninflexiblefaithin thefinalityofZen.

Itisnottobeattainedbymerelyclimbingupthegradationof

thekoansoneafteranother,asisusuallypractisedbyfollowers

ofthe Rinzaischool. The numberreallyhas nothingto do

withit;thenecessaryrequirementsarefaithandpersonaleffort,

withoutwhichZenisamerebubble.ThosewhoregardZenas

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