-- Tao-wu's Greatest Depth --

Zen Master Tao-wu was sitting on the high seat of meditation when a monk came and asked, "What is the greatest depth of the teaching?"
(Means what is the ultimate truth?)
Tao-wu came down from the seat to kneel on the floor saying, "You are here after traveling from afar, but I am sorry to have nothing to answer you."

Later on Zen Master Fugai commented on this story : "Look out, brother! You are endangering yourself in the deep sea."
Later on Zen Master Nyogen said: "Yes, it is true. This monk does not realize his danger even though he is on the verge of drowning."

----!!!!----

There are multiple aspects of this story:
First : None of the answers to this question can be real answer. Each answer will give rise to thousand and one more questions and the original question will still remain unanswered. Understand this! If you ask me "Is there any God?", I can say either Yes or No. But whatever answer I give you, will give rise to thousand and one more questions. None of the answer is the real answer. And there are people who have faith on some answers and they have become so clinged to their answers that they find out all kinds of rationalization that their answer is right. Someone is theist, he believes in God. He can give you hundreds of rationalization for his answer. Someone is atheist, he doesn't believe in God. He can also give you hundred of rationalization for his answer. If you refute their answers, they will become angry with you because their answers are very superficial. Deep down they are suffering from their ignorance. By refuting those answers you are unveiling their ignorance. This very anger is the proof that they don't know the answer. They just believe that their answer is correct. This very anger is the proof of their ignorance.
No! Zen doesn't give you any new kind of answer. You are already filled with lot of answers. Zen is the art of making you empty of all the answers, making you empty of all the words and diving deep in silence.
Second : 'THAT' cannot be given by someone else. 'THAT' you have to find in your own meditation.
Third : The monk missed the lively truth in the master. He was looking for some words. This is how people have missed the Buddhas. They see them, they hear them, yet they miss them.
Meditate! Don't waste time in rationalizing your answers or seeking the answers outside. Without meditating, your answers may become right but YOU yourself will remain wrong!!!

--Matter of extraordinary wonder--

Zen Master Hyakujo's monastery was located on Daiyû Mountain.
A monk once asked Hyakujô, "What is the matter of extraordinary wonder?" 
Hyakujô said,"Sitting alone on Daiyû Peak!" 
The monk made a deep bow. Hyakujô thereupon hit him!

----!!!!----

No one can give you the truth. You have to meditate yourself. By practicing meditation you start living in the present moment. This is why master hit him to imply that no one can give anyone the truth!

-- The Seat --

A monk asked, "Teachers of our order say to 'abide' by sitting in the bodhi seat. What is the seat?"

Zen Master Changsha said, "Just now I'm sitting. Just now you're standing."

----!!!!----

Being in the present moment is the Bodhi seat!!

-- The Most Important Principle of Zen --

A monk besought Zen Master Zhaozhou to tell him the most vitally important principle of Zen.

The master, excusing himself: "I must now go to make water. Think even such a trifling thing I have to do in person."

----!!!!----

These Zen Masters are themselves insane and will drive us crazy too! Master Joshu was such a famous Zen Master contemporary to Rinzai, though he did not use physical beating and shouting like Rinzai. Yet why did he not tell clearly about Zen? I suspect he doesn't understand the Buddhadharma at all!!! :)

-- The Hungry Man --

Zen Master Baizhang Huaihai (720-814) said to the assembly, "There is someone who never eats but doesn't say he's hungry; there is someone who eats all day but doesn't say he's full."
No one could answer this.

-- Open The Eyes --

The monk Changzi Kuang once returned from a pilgrimage to continue his study with Master Shitou.  The master asked him, “Where have you been?”

    Kuang said, “To Master Huineng's memorial shrine at Caoxi.”

    The master asked, “Did visiting there bring you any merit?”

    Kuang said, “I've had some insight, but I haven't been able to 'open the eyes' of the awakened one.”

    The master said, “Do you want to 'open the eyes'?”

    Kuang said, “Please, master, help me do so.”

    The master suddenly kicked out his leg right at the monk.

    Kuang had a deep realization, and made a prostration.

    The master asked, “Why do you bow?”

    Kuang said, “It's like a flake of snow landing on a red-hot furnace.”

-- Where Are You? --

Minister Pei Xiu came to visit Open Source Monastery.  When the head monk came to greet him, Pei pointed to a portrait on the wall and asked, “What is that?”

    The monk said, “It's the portrait of a famous high priest.”

    Pei said, “I can see the portrait, but where is the priest?”

    The monk couldn't answer.  Pei said, “Isn't there a Zen person in this monastery?”

    The monk went to get Master Huangbo.  When the master arrived Pei said, “I have a question, but no one's able to answer.”

    The master said, “Please ask the question.”

    Pei said, “The portrait can be seen, but where is the high priest?”

    The master suddenly shouted, “Pei Xiu!”

    Pei said, “Yes?”

    The master said, “Where are you?”

    Pei Xiu immediately understood.

-- Hui-chung Expels His Disciple --

Tan-hsia paid a visit to Zen Master Hui-chung, who was taking a nap at the time. “Is your teacher in?” asked Tan-hsia of an attending disciple. 
“Yes, he is, but he does not want to see anyone,” said the monk. 
“You are expressing the situation profoundly,” Tan-hsia said. 
“Don’t mention it. Even if Buddha comes, my teacher does not want to see him.”
“You are certainly a good disciple. Your teacher ought to be proud of you,” and with these words of praise, Tan-hsia left the temple.
When Hui-chung awoke, Tan-yüan, the attending monk, repeated the dialogue. The teacher beat the monk with a stick and drove him from the temple.

------------------------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!----------------------------
Boasting is a sign of ego.
But you are very strange. You can make even religion an ornament of your ego. You boast too much about your Guru, about your so called religion and your so called God. The bigger they are the greater you become. A Buddhist says - My Buddha is the greatest one, a Christian says - My Jesus is the greatest one. And I have seen similar dogmas in all the people of all other so called religions. And similar is the case of the followers of all political leaders too, without any exception. But what I see is that the emphasis is not on The Buddha or The Jesus or anyone else. Emphasis is on 'My'. Whatever is mine, must be great. This is ego. And the more ego, the more anger - the more hatred. This is why there have been so many wars on the name of Religion. This seems to be very strange, very irony! There are so many religions, so many dogmas in the world. Ideally, the world should have become very peaceful. But the case is just opposite.
No! Zen doesn't suggest you to become boastful of Zen. Zen doesn't even allow you to become a clinger of Zen. Zen says only one thing : Meditate. Be a witness of your mind - Be a witness of your ego! And suddenly it starts melting...
Meditate. If you don't meditate and just take an oath that now onwards I won't be so egotist then it would not help. The biggest problem with ego is that it doesn't allow you to meditate, because it is very painful to see that you are an egotist. Meditate! Zen says only one thing : Meditate!

-- Yen-t‘ou’s Water Pail --

Three monks, Hsüeh-fêng, Ch‘in-shan, and Yen-t‘ou, met in the temple garden. Hsüeh-fêng saw a water pail and pointed to it. Ch‘in-shan said, “The water is clear, and the moon reflects its image.” 

“No, no,” said Hsüeh-fêng, “it is not water, it is not moon.” 

Yen-t‘ou turned over the pail.

-- The Question --

Guishan asked Dasui Fazhen, “You’ve been practicing here with me for some time. Why haven’t you asked any questions?”

Dasui said, “What would you have me ask?”

Guishan said, “Why don’t you ask, ‘What is Buddha?’”

Dasui abruptly covered Guishan’s mouth with his hand.

Guishan exclaimed, “You’ve truly attained the marrow!”

-- The Meaning --

When Liang-chieh was crossing the water and saw his image reflected, he suddenly understood the teaching of Yun-yen. Thus he made the following gather:
You should not search through others,
Lest the Truth recede farther from you,
When alone I proceed through myself,
He is the same as me,
Yet I am not he!
Only if you understand this
Will you identify with tathata.

-- THE TRULY WISE OLD MONK --

A young Zen monk was recognized by his teacher as having experienced an initial breakthrough enlightenment (Japanese: satori, kensho). His teacher then told the young man that, for realizing complete, irreversible enlightenment (Sanskrit: anuttara-samyak-sambodhi), he would need to study under a certain wise old master whose small temple was situated in another part of the country. And so the young man set off to meet the old master. After several weeks of travel, he finally arrived at the remote temple. The sentry told him that all the other monks were working at their daily chores, and sent the young man straightaway to the meditation hall to meet the venerable master.

Entering the meditation hall, the young monk espied an old man doing repeated prostrations to a simple statue of the Buddha, softly chanting the name of Buddha Amida (who saves all sentient beings from suffering). The young man was shocked. Having realized from his teacher the basic truth that the Self or Buddha-nature is formless openness-emptiness, utterly transcendent and all-pervasive, he was a bit disturbed to see the old man apparently still caught up in such “dualistic” practices—ritually bowing to an idol and chanting with devotion to a mythical Buddha.

And so he came up to the aged monk, introduced himself, and, from his “truly enlightened” perspective, proceeded to lecture the old man on the futility and stupidity of worshipping mere forms. Finally, his brief rant over, he realized that, having traveled such a long way to meet the “master,” he should probably ask the old monk for whatever wisdom he had to share. “So, old man, what can you tell me about full enlightenment?”

In response, the master smiled, said nothing, and resumed sincerely bowing in gratitude before the statue of the Buddha, gently invoking the Name of Amida on behalf of all beings….

And, in a flash, the young man fully understood the way of true spirituality, and he, too, began spontaneously to bow alongside the old master. 

-- VISITING TEACHER --

When Chan Master Deshan (Te-shan, 782-865) arrived at Guishan monastery, he carried his bundle with him into the teaching hall, where he crossed from east to west and then from west to east. He looked around at all the monks assembled and said, “There’s nothing here, simply no one at all.” Then he went out.

-- WHO ARE YOU? --

Keiji, a long-time Zen student, approached his master and said: “I don’t see how there can be any enlightenment that sets you free once and for all. I think we just get ever greater glimpses of Buddha-nature, the vastness that is our true Reality. It’s an ever-expanding process.” The master, looking penetratingly at Keiji, replied. “That may be what you think. But what is your experience, your experience right now?” Keiji looked momentarily confused. “My experience right now, Master?” “Yes. Do you know yourself as Keiji, having ever-expanding experiences of Buddha-nature? Or do you know yourself as Buddha-nature, having the experience of Keiji?” 

-- THE WISE MAN --

Daoxin (Tao-hsin, 580-651), the so-called "4th Chinese Chan Patriarch," the actual first Chan master of a settled monastic community, stated: “The wise man does nothing, while the fool is always tying himself up.” 

Peace!

--Non-Attachment--

Kitano Gempo, abbot of Eihei temple, was ninety-two years old when he passed away in the year 1933. He endeavored his whole life not to be attached to anything. As a wandering mendicant when he was twenty he happened to meet a traveler who smoked tobacco. As they walked together down a mountain road, they stopped under a tree to rest. The traveler offered Kitano a smoke, which he accepted, as he was very hungry at the time.

“How pleasant this smoking is,” he commented. The other gave him an extra pipe and tobacco and they parted.

Kitano felt: “Such pleasant things may disturb meditation. Before this goes too far, I will stop now.” So he threw the smoking outfit away.

When he was twenty-three years old he studied I-King, the profoundest doctrine of the universe. It was winter at the time and he needed some heavy clothes. He wrote his teacher, who lived a hundred miles away, telling him of his need, and gave the letter to a traveler to deliver. Almost the whole winter passed and neither answer nor clothes arrived. So Kitano resorted to the prescience of I-King, which also teaches the art of divination, to determine whether or not his letter had miscarried. He found that this had been the case. A letter afterwards from his teacher made no mention of clothes.

“If I perform such accurate determinative work with I-King, I may neglect my meditation,” felt Kitano. So he gave up this marvelous teaching and never resorted to its powers again.

When he was twenty-eight he studied Chinese calligraphy and poetry. He grew so skillful in these arts that his teacher praised him. Kitano mused: “If I don’t stop now, I’ll be a poet, not a Zen teacher.” So he never wrote another poem.

--A Useless Life--

A farmer got so old that he couldn't work the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working the farm, would look up from time to time and see his father sitting there. "He's of no use any more," the son thought to himself, "he doesn't do anything!" One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin. He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. "I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?" "What is it?" replied the son. "Throw me over the cliff, if you like," said the father, "but save this good wood coffin. Your children might need to use it."

-- Not Dualistic --

Three Zen students came out of a Dharma talk.

"What did you think of Roshi's talk today?" one of them asked. 
"When he talked about true and false practice, I thought that was kind of dualistic, wasn't it?"
"Ah," said the second, "but your even saying that is dualistic itself, don't you see?"
"Look who's talking," said the third. "I'm glad I'm not dualistic like you guys!"

-- Why? --

Zen Master Hofuku, seeing a monk, struck a pillar outside the temple. 
Then he struck the monk, who cried out with pain. 
"Why doesn't the pillar cry out?" Hofuku said. 
The monk had no answer!

----!!!!----

Whole Zen is nothing else but a way of knowing what is the source of life within us? Who we actually are?

-- Kasan Sweat --

Kasan was asked to officiate at the funeral of a provincial lord. He had never met lords and nobles before so he was nervous. When the ceremony started, Kasan sweat. Afterwards, when he had returned, he gathered his pupils together. Kasan confessed that he was not yet qualified to be a teacher for he lacked the sameness of bearing in the world of fame that he possessed in the secluded temple. Then Kasan resigned and became a pupil of another master. Eight years later he returned to his former pupils, enlightened.

-- The Stingy Artist --

Gessen was an artist monk. Before he would start a drawing or painting he always insisted upon being paid in advance, and his fees were high. He was known as the “Stingy Artist.” A geisha once gave him a commission for a painting. “How much can you pay?” inquired Gessen. “‘Whatever you charge,” replied the girl, “but I want you to do the work in front of me.”

So on a certain day Gessen was called by the geisha. She was holding a feast for her patron. Gessen with fine brush work did the paining. When it was completed he asked the highest sum of his time. He received his pay. Then the geisha turned to her patron saying: “All this artist wants is money. His paintings are fine but his mind is dirty; money has caused it to become muddy. Drawn by such a filthy mind, his work is not fit to exhibit. It is just about good enough for one of my petticoats.” Removing her skirt, she then asked Gessen to do another picture on the back of her petticoat. “How much will you pay?” asked Gessen.

“Oh, any amount,” answered the girl. Gessen named a fancy price, painted the picture in the manner requested, and went away. It was learned later that Gessen had these reasons for desiring money: A ravaging famine often visited his province. The rich would not help the poor, so Gessen had a secret warehouse, unknown to anyone, which he kept filled with grain, prepared for these emergencies. From his village to the National Shrine the road was in very poor condition and many travelers suffered while traversing it. He desired to build a better road. His teacher had passed away without realizing his wish to build a temple, and Gessen wished to complete this temple for him. After Gessen had accomplished his three wishes he threw away his brushes and artist’s materials and, retiring to the mountains, never painted again.

--A Mother's Advice--

Jiun, a Shogun master, was a well-known Sanskrit scholar of the Tokugawa era. When he was young he used to deliver lectures to his brother students.

His mother heard about this and wrote him a letter:

"Son, I do not think you became a devotee of the Buddha because you desired to turn into a walking dictionary for others. There is no end to information and commentation, glory and honor. I wish you would stop this lecture business. Shut yourself up in a little temple in a remote part of the mountain. Devote your time to meditation and in this way attain true realization."

-- Become as big trees?? --

Zen Master Man Gong was Seung Sahn Soen Sa’s Dharma grandfather. As a thirteen year old child, he was studying sutras at the temple Donghaksa in Korea. The day before vacation, everyone gathered to listen to some lectures.

The lecturer said, “All of you must study hard, learn Buddhism, and become as big trees, with which great temples are built, and as large bowls, able to hold many things. The verse says:

“Water becomes square or round according to the shape of the container in which it is placed. Likewise, people become good or bad according to the company they keep. Always keep your minds set on holiness and remain in good company. In this way, you will become great trees and containers of Wisdom. This I most sincerely wish.”

Everyone was greatly inspired by this lecture. At this point, the Sutra Master turned to Zen Master Kyong-Ho, who was visiting the temple, and said, “Please speak, Master Kyong Ho; everyone would like to hear your words of wisdom.”

The Master was quite a sight. He was always unshaven and wore robes that were tattered and worn. Although he at first refused, after being asked again and again, he reluctantly consented to speak.

“All of you are monks. You are to be great teachers, free of ego; you must live only to serve all people. Desiring to become a big tree or a great container of Wisdom prevents you from being a true teacher. Big trees have big uses; small trees have small uses. Good and bad bowls both have their uses. Nothing is to be discarded. Keep both good and bad friends; this is your responsibility. You must not reject any element; this is true religion. My only wish is for you to be free from discriminating thoughts.”

Having completed his talk, the Master walked out the door, leaving the audience astonished. The young Man-Gong ran after him, and called out, “Please take me with you; I wish to become your student.”

The Master shouted at him to go away, but the child wouldn’t listen. So he asked, “If I take you with me, what will you do?”

“I will learn. You will teach me.”

“But you are only a child. How can you understand?”

“People are young and old, but does our True Self have youth or old age?”

“You are a very bad boy! You have killed and eaten the Buddha. Come along.”

--The Aim--

A long time ago, Baso of Kiangsi Province was training under Zen Master Nangaku. While staying in Chuan-fa Temple, Baso had been doing seated meditation day in and day out for some ten years or more. 
One day when Nangaku came to Baso’s hut, Baso stood up to receive him. Nangaku asked him, “What have you been doing recently?”
Baso replied, “Recently I have been doing the practice of seated meditation exclusively.”
Nangaku asked, “And what is the aim of your meditation?”
Baso replied, “The aim of my seated meditation is to achieve Buddhahood.” 
Thereupon, Nangaku took a roof tile and began rubbing it on a rock near Baso’s hut.
Baso, upon seeing this, asked him, “Reverend Monk, what are you doing?”
Nangaku replied, “I am polishing a roof tile.”
Baso then asked, “What are you going to make by polishing a roof tile?”
Nangaku replied, “I am polishing it to make a mirror.”
Baso said, “How can you possibly make a mirror by rubbing a tile?”
Nangaku replied, “How can you possibly make yourself into a Buddha by doing meditation?”

----!!!!----

This story is taken from the book Shobogenzo, written by the great Zen Master Dogen! The book is written in Chinese(??). The translator says:
The translation may not clearly convey the contradiction in Baso’s statement. The particular practice of seated meditation he specifically mentions is 'chih-kuan ta-tsuo', a Chinese colloquial phrase that implies sitting in meditation without deliberately thinking of anything, or holding on to anything that naturally arises, or pushing away anything that naturally arises, and without trying to suppress any thoughts from arising. However, in reply to Nangaku’s question, Baso indicates that, in fact, he has something he is deliberately holding in his mind, namely, the goal of realizing Buddhahood, literally ‘making himself into a Buddha’!

Later on Dogen said:

        Polishing a tile to make a mirror is diligent effort.

        and

                               Polishing a tile to make a mirror is our reward for accumulating merit and virtue.

                              He also said:

        Instead of hitting the ox, you should hit the cart.

        and

        When one cart is hit, many carts go quickly.

Why the master is saying that instead of hitting the ox, one should hit the cart. One cannot know directly the ultimate truth. So one has to start meditating over the body and mind and then only he goes beyond. 

-- Blow Out the Candle --

Tokusan was studying Zen under Ryutan. One night he came to Ryutan and asked many questions. The teacher said: `The night is getting old. Why don't you retire?'

So Tukusan bowed and opened the screen to go out, observing: `It is very dark outside.'

Ryutan offered Tokusan a lighted candle to find his way. Just as Tokusan received it, Ryutan blew it out. At that moment the mind of Tokusan was opened.

`What have you attained?' asked Ryutan.

`From now on,' said Tokusan, `I will not doubt the teacher's words.'

The next day Ryutan told the monks at his lecture: `I see one monk among you. His teeth are like the sword tree, his mouth is like the blood bowl. If you hit him hard with a big stick, he will not even so much as look back at you. Someday he will mount the highest peak and carry my teaching there.'

On that day, in front of the lecture hall, Tokusan burned to ashes his commentaries on the sutras. He said: `However abstruse the teachings are, in comparison with this enlightenment they are like a single hair to the great sky. However profound the complicated knowledge of the world, compared to this enlightenment it is like one drop of water to the great ocean.' Then he left the monastry.

-- The Original Face --

The monk Hui-ming was one of those who were running after Hui-neng - the Sixth Patriarch of Zen in China - for the robe and bowl that had come down from the Buddha Himself, they were the symbols of Buddha Dharma transmission in Zen tradition. When he caught up Hui-neng, he realized that the ultimate things are not the robe and bowl, but something else. He said, "Venerable Sir, I came for the Dharma (teaching), not for the robe and bowl."
Hui-neng then said, "Since you have come here for the Dharma, you should shut out all objects and not conceive a single thought, then I will expound the Dharma for you."
Hui-ming was silent for a long while. Hui-neng said, "When you do not think of good and do not think of bad, what is your original face?"
At these words, Hui-ming had a deep insight. Then he asked, "You have given me the secret words and meanings. Is there yet a deeper part of the teaching?"
Hui-neng said,"What I have told you is no secret. If you reflect inwardly, the secret is in you."

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Be You.
The World will adjust!!!

-- Tao --

 A monk asked Wei-kuan: "What is Tao?"

Wei-kuan replied: "What a fine mountain!"

"I am asking you about the Tao -- why do you talk up the mountain?"

"As long as you only know about the mountain," said Wei-kuan, "you can never attain the Tao."  

--Any question?--

One day Te-shan gave a sermon, in which he said, "When you question, you commit a fault.  When you do not, you give offense."

A monk came forward and began to bow, whereupon the master struck him. 

"I have just begun my bowing!"  said the monk.  "Why did you strike me?"

"If I wait for you to open your mouth, all will be over."

--Lotus Blossoms and Leaves--

A monk asked Chimon, "Before the lotus blossom has emerged from the water, what is it?" Chimon said, "A lotus blossom." The monk pursued, "After it has come out of the water, what is it?" Chimon replied, "Lotus leaves."

-- Why? --

A monk saw a turtle in the garden of Daizui's monastery and asked the teacher, "All beings cover their bones with flesh and skin. Why does this being cover its flesh and skin with bones?" Master Daizui took off one of his sandals and covered the turtle with it.

----!!!!----

A meditator sees what is and enjoys it! You cannot ask nature that why gravitation pulls downwards? Why doesn't it throw upwards? Remember! Zen comes from the root Dhyana. Hence all these Zen Stories are related to what happens to a meditator. If you are not meditating and just reading these Zen Stories then you are just wasting your time!