Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings (84 page)

A monk asked, “What is the upright receipt of a single mote of dust?”

Zifu appeared to enter a deep samadhi.

The monk asked, “What is the arising samadhi of all dust?”

Zifu said, “Of whom are you asking this question?”

A monk asked, “What is the style of the master’s house?”

Zifu said, “After the rice, three cups of tea.”

One day, Zifu held up a meditation cushion and said, “All buddhas, bodhisattvas, and saints who have attained the Way come forth from this.”

Then Zifu threw it down, opened his robe at his chest and said, “What do you say?”

The monks were speechless.

A monk asked, “Since I’ve arrived here, the summer practice period has nearly passed and I haven’t received instruction from you. I want you to support my efforts.”

Zifu gave the monk a push and said, “Since I became abbot here, I’ve never blinded a monk’s eye!”

Once, the master sat for a long time in silence, then he looked back and forth at the monks and said, “Understand?”

The monks answered, “We don’t understand.”

Zifu said, “If you don’t understand then I’ve deceived you.”

One day Zifu placed a meditation cushion on his head and said, “When you are like this, then it’s difficult for us to speak to each other.”

The monks were silent.

Zifu then sat on the cushion and said, “This is better.”

BAJIAO HUIQING

BAJIAO HUIQING (n.d.) was a disciple of Nanta Guangyong. He came from Korea. At the age of twenty-eight, he arrived at Mt. Yang in Yuanzhou (now Yichun City in Jiangxi Province) and began studying with Nanta. One day Nanta said to the assembled monks, “All of you, if you are brave, come out from the womb and roar like a lion!”

At these words, Bajiao gained enlightenment.

Bajiao held up his staff and said to the monks, “If you have a staff, I give you a staff. If you don’t have a staff, then I take it away from you.”

Then, using his staff for support, he got down and left the hall.

A monk asked Bajiao, “What is banana juice?” [Bajiao translates as “banana.”]

Bajiao said, “Winter warm, summer cool.”

A monk asked, “What is the blown feather sword?”

Bajiao said, “Come forward three steps.”

The monk said, “What for?”

Bajiao said, “Go back three steps.”

A monk asked, “What phrase does the master have for people?”

Bajiao said, “I’m just afraid you won’t ask.”

Bajiao entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, “Do you understand? Those who know are few. Take care.”