ANINTRODUCTIONTO ZENBUDDHISM
thekoanswhicharegiventoZenstudentsforsolution,afewof
themaregivenhere.WhenKyosanreceivedamirrorfromYisan,
hebroughtitoutbeforeanassemblageofmonksandsaid:"O
monks,Yisanhassenthereamirror;shallitbecalledYisan's
ormine?Ifyoucallitmine,howisitthatitcomesfromYisan?
IfyoucallitYisan's,howdoyouaccountforitsbeinginmy
hands?Ifyoucanmakeastatement thathitsthemark, the
mirror willberetained; ifyoucannot, it willbebrokenin
pieces." This he declared three times and as nobodycame
forwardtomakeastatementthemirrorwasdestroyed.
TozancametoUmmonforinstruction;thelatterasked
:"WTieredoyoucomefrom?""FromSato."
"Wherehaveyouspentthesummer?"
"AtHojiofKonan."
"Whendidyouleavethere?"
"Onthetwenty-fifthoftheeighthmonth."
Ummonsuddenly raisedhisvoice andsaid:"Ispareyou
thirtyblows.Youmaynowretire."
IntheeveningTozanwenttoUmmon'sroomand asked
whathisfaultwas,sograveastodeservethirtyblows.Saidthemaster, "Isthis the way you wanderall overthe country?
Oyourice-bag!"
Yisanwashavinganap,whenKyosancamein.Hearingthe
visitor,Yisanturnedabouttowardthewall.SaidKyosan,"Iamyourdisciple;noformalityisneeded."
The mastermade a movement as ifhe wereawakening
fromsleep;Kyosanstartedtoleavetheroom,butthemastercalledhimback.SaidYisan,"Iamgoingtotellyouaboutmy
dream."
Kyosanleanedforwardasiflistening.Yisansaid,"Youguess."
Kyosanwentout and broughta basin filledwith water
andatowel.With thewaterthemasterwashedhisface,but
beforehehadresumedhisseatanothermonk,Kyogen,camein.
Themastersaid,"Wehavebeenperformingamiracle—andnot
atrivialoneatthat."Kyogen replied, "I have been below and knowall that
hasbeengoingonbetweenyou."