-- 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!”