ZEN AHIGHER AFFIRMATION
womandidnotwishtosectheBuddha;ifheeverapproachedshe
triedineverywaytoavoidhim,runningupanddown,hiding
herselfhitherandthither.Butoneday,findingitimpossibleto
fleefromhim,shecoveredherfacewithherhands,andlo,the
Buddhaappearedbetweeneachofhertenfingers.Letmeask,
'Whoisthisoldlady?'"
AbsoluteaflSrmationbtheBuddha;youcarmotflyawayfrom
it,foritconfrontsyouateveryturn;butsomehowyoudonot
recognizeituntilyou,likeGutei'slitdeboy,loseafinger.Itis
strange,butthefactremainsthatwearelike"thosewhodieof
hungerwhilesittingbesidethericebag",orratherlike"thosewho
die ofthirstwhilestandingthoroughlydrenchedinthemidst
oftheriver".Onemastergoesastepfurtherandsaysthat"We
arcthericeitselfandthewateritself."Ifsowecannottruthfully
saythatwearehungryorthirsty,forfromtheverybeginning
nothinghasbeenwantinginus.AmonkcametoSozan(T'sao-
shan,840-901) askinghim tobecharitable, as hewasquite
destitute.Sozancalledout,"Omyvenerablesir!"towhichthe
monk immediatelyresponded. Then said Sozan, "You have
alreadyhadthreebigbowlfulsofrichhome-madechu(liquor),
andyetyouinsistthatithasneveryetwettedyourlips!"Perhaps
weareallUkcthispooropulent monk;whenwearealready
quitefilledup,weneverrealizethefact.
Toconclude,hereisanotheroftheinnumerablestatements
thataboundinZenliterature,absolutelyaffirmingthetruthof
Zen.Seihei(Tsing-ping,845-919)askedSuibi(T'sui-wei):^
"WhatisthefundamentalprincipleofBuddhism?"
"Wait,"saidSuibi;"whenthereisnoonearoundIwilltell
you."
AfterawhileSeiheirep>eatedtherequest,saying,"Thereis
nooneherenow;prayenlightenme."
Comingdownfromhischair,Suibitooktheanxiousinquirer
intothebamboogrove,butsaidnothing.WTienthelatterpressed
forareply,Suibiwhispered:"Howhighthesebamboosare!And
howshortthoseoverthere!"
'TheTransndisionqftheLamp{Oman-UngLu),Vol.XV.