AN INTRODUCTIONTOZEN BUDDHISM
Zenthatissupposedtobesofxillofirrationalities,or,ifyoulike
toputitso,sofullofthehighestspeculationsthatarejxjssible
tothehumanunderstanding.Thefollowingaresomemoreof
theseinstances,simple,direct,andpractical,andyetpregnant
withmeaning.
Sekkyo(Shih-kung)^askedoneofhisaccomplishedmonks,
"Canyoutakeholdofemptyspace?"
"Yes,sir,"hereplied."Showmehowyoudoit."
Themonkstretchedouthisarmand clutchedat empty
space.
Sekkyosaid:"Isthattheway?Butafterallyouhavenotgot
anything."
"Whatthen,"askedthemonk,"isyourway?"
Themasterstraightwaytookholdofthemonk'snoseand
gaveitahardpull,whichmadethelatterexclaim:"Oh,oh,
howhardyoupullatmynose!Youarehurtingmeterribly1"
"Thatisthewaytohavegoodholdofemptyspace,"said
themaster.WhenYenkwan(Yen-kuan),oneofMa-tsu'sdisciples,was
askedby amonkwhothe realVairochana Buddhawas, he
toldthemonktopassoverawater-pitcherwhichwasnearby.
Themonkbroughtittohimasrequested,butYenkwannow
orderedittobetakenbacktoitsformerplace.Afterobedientlyfollowingtheorder,themonkagainaskedthemasterwhothe
realVairochanaBuddhawas. "ThevenerableoldBuddhais
nomorehere,"wasthereply.ConcerningthisincidentanotherZenmaster conmients, "Yes, thevenerable old Buddhahas
longbeenhere."
Iftheseincidents areregarded as not entirely free from
intellectualcomplications,whatwouldyouthinkofthefollow-ingcase ofChu (Chung, died 775), thenational teacherof
Nan-yang,whousedtocall hisattendantthree timesaday,
saying,"O myattendant,myattendant!" Tothistheatten-
dantwouldrespondregularly,"Yes,master."Finallythemaster
remarked,"IthoughtIwasinthewrongwithyou,butitisyou*AdiscipleofMa-tsu.Hewasahunterbeforeconversion,andforhis
interviewwithMa-tsuseemyZ*^Essays,III,under"Shib-kungandSan-
ping",byMotonobuKano.