Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (44 page)

A monk asked Zhaozhou, “Does a dog have buddha nature?”

Zhaozhou answered “Wu! [in Japanese, ‘
Mu!
’]”

Zhaozhou’s arrival at Mt. Nanquan is recorded in the lamp records.

Upon their first meeting, Nanquan, who was lying down and resting, asked Zhaozhou, “Where have you come from?”

Zhaozhou said, “I’ve come from Ruixiang [‘Omen Figure’].”

Nanquan said, “Did you see the standing omen’s figure?”

Zhaozhou said, “No, but I’ve seen a reclining Tathagata.”

Nanquan got up and asked, “As a novice monk, do you have a teacher or not?”

Zhaozhou replied, “I have a teacher.”

Nanquan said, “Who is your teacher?”

Zhaozhou stepped in front of Nanquan, bowed, and said, “In the freezing winter cold, a prostrate monk only asks for the master’s blessings.”

Nanquan approved Zhaozhou’s answer and permitted him to enter the monk’s hall.

One day, Zhaozhou asked Nanquan, “What is the Way?”

Nanquan said, “Everyday mind is the Way.”

Zhaozhou said, “Does it have a disposition?”

Nanquan said, “If it has the slightest intention, then it is crooked.”

Zhaozhou said, “When a person has no disposition, then how can he know that this is the Way?”

Nanquan said, “The Way is not subject to knowledge, nor is it subject to no-knowledge. Knowledge is delusive. No-knowledge is nihilistic. When the uncontrived way is really attained, it is like great emptiness, vast and expansive. So how could there be baneful right and wrong?”

At these words Zhaozhou was awakened.

Thereafter Zhaozhou traveled to Mt. Song where he received ordination. He then returned to continue his practice under Nanquan.

One day Zhaozhou asked Nanquan, “Where do people with knowledge go [when they die]?”

Nanquan said, “They go to be bull water buffaloes down at the Tans’ and Yues’ houses at the base of the mountain.”

Zhaozhou said, “Thank you for your instruction.”

Nanquan said, “Last night during the third hour the moon reached the window.”

Nanquan said, “People of this time must practice among different species.”

Zhaozhou said, “Not to speak of ‘different,’ what do you mean by ‘species’?”

Nanquang got down on all fours.

Zhaozhou shoved him over with his foot. Zhaozhou then went into the nirvana hall [the temple infirmary] and yelled, “Sorry! Sorry!”

Nanquan instructed his attendant to ask Zhaozhou, “What are you sorry about?”

Zhaozhou said, “I’m sorry I didn’t kick him again.”

Zhaozhou went to see Huangbo. When Huangbo saw him coming he closed the door to his room. Zhaozhou picked up a piece of flaming firewood from the stove, and walking into the Dharma hall, he yelled, “Fire! Fire!”

Huangbo threw open his door, and grabbing Zhaozhou he said, “Speak! Speak!”

Zhaozhou said, “After the thief has run off you’ve drawn your bow.”

Zhaozhou also went to Baoshou Yanzhao’s place. Baoshou saw him coming and sat on the meditation platform facing away from him. Zhaozhou laid out his meditation mat and bowed toward Baoshou. Baoshou then got down from the meditation platform. Zhaozhou went out.

Zhaozhou also went to Tianhuang Daowu’s place. Just when Zhaozhou entered the hall, Daowu yelled, “Here comes an arrow from Nanquan!”

Zhaozhou said, “See the arrow!”

Daowu said, “It’s already passed.”

Zhaozhou said, “Bulls-eye!”

Zhaozhou entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “It’s like a lustrous pearl in your hand. If a foreigner comes a foreigner reveals it. If a Chinese comes a Chinese reveals it.

“This old monk uses a blade of grass as a sixty-foot golden statue. I also use a sixty-foot golden statue as a blade of grass.

“Buddha is affliction. Affliction is Buddha.”

A monk said, “I don’t understand whose house is afflicted by Buddha.”

Zhaozhou said, “All people are afflicted by Buddha.”

The monk asked, “How can affliction be avoided?”

Zhaozhou said, “Why avoid it?”

One day Zhaozhou was sweeping.

A monk asked, “The master is a great worthy. Why are you sweeping?”

Zhaozhou said, “Dust comes in from outside.”

The monk said, “It is a pure temple. Why, then, is there dust?”

Zhaozhou said, “There’s some more.”

One day Zhaozhou was walking with an official in a park. A rabbit saw them and, becoming alarmed, ran away.

The official asked Zhaozhou, “Master, you are a great worthy. When the rabbit saw you why did it run away?”

Zhaozhou said, “Because I’m good at killing.”