Zen Stories

[Oyabun]

Zen Buddhism has a tradition of using stories to illustrate particular qualities or principles.

This is one of my favourites.

If a travelling monk arrives at a Zen temple and can win an argument on Buddhism or can show he has gained a greater understanding of the teachings then he will be provided with food and lodging, if he loses then he must leave.

Thus, at a remote temple one night a traveller arrives and issues a challenge. The abbot was reluctant because he knew all his best monks had already retired for the night following a long day of study, but it would be disrespectful to refuse the challenge. He went looking for a monk who was still awake. The only one he found was Sakito, who was lazy, a poor student, and had a bad temper – he had once lost an eye in a fight. Knowing the junior monk was likely to show his ignorance and thus bring discredit on the monastery the abbot told Sakito he was to take part in the debate, which would be held in the dining hall, but was to keep his mouth shut and not say anything.

He then returned to take the traveller and showed him to the dining hall and received agreement that the debate was to be in silence, no words could be used.

Soon after the traveller reappeared before the abbot and said that he had been beaten and that the junior monk had shown profound understanding and brought great credit on the temple and the abbot. Surprised the abbot asked the traveller to recount the debate.

The traveller said, “I held up one finger symbolising the Buddha. Sakito then held up two fingers symbolising the Buddha and his teachings. I held up three fingers symbolising the Buddha, his teachings and his followers. Then he shook his fist at me denoting that through dedicated training all can form one realisation. Knowing I was beaten I walked away” The traveller then left the monastery.

Sakito then came storming into the room, clearly angry, asking where the rude traveller was. The now mystified abbot asked him what had happened in the debate.

Sakito explained, “The traveller started with an insult, holding up one finger denoting I had only one eye. So, to be polite I held up two fingers to congratulate him that he had two. Then he continued the insult by holding up three fingers showing that between us we only had three eyes. I shook my fist at him to signify I wanted an apology or I would hit him and he just turned and walked away.”

[Masamato]

What's with the star on the page?

Oh and nice story.

[Oyabun]

Just doing some testing.

[Oyabun]

Here is another one related to samurai.

Yagyu Matajuro was a young member of the Yagyu family, famous for their school of sword techniques and for being swordsmanship instructors to the Tokugawa shoguns. However Matajuro's father was disappointed in his son's tendency towards laziness and banished him from the dojo. Matajuro resolved to seek out a master and return as a great swordsman.

Matajuro journeyed to Mount Nikko, where he had heard of a great teacher called Banzo. Eventually he found Banzo asked to be accepted as a student.

"How long will it take me to learn swordsmanship?" he asked.

"The rest of your life," was the reply.

"I can't wait that long. I will study hard and train a lot."

"In that case, ten years." replied Basho.

"What if I train twice as hard?" tried Matajuro.

"In that case, thirty years."

"What? First you say ten then thirty years. I will accept any hardship, and will devote myself completely to the study of swordsmanship."

"In that case, seventy years." Basho said forcefully.

Finally, Matajuro realised that master Basho’s responses to him were because he was showing impatience. Matajuro agreed to work as long as it took, and do anything he was told.

For the first year all Banzo had Matajuro do was to perform simple physical tasks such as chopping wood, cleaning and cooking. After a year of this Matajuro was disappointed and demanded that Banzo teach him some swordsmanship. Banzo merely insisted that he continue with his chores.

Matajuro did, but inwardly he was furious. He continued for a few more months but was now on the verge of leaving.

Then one day as he chopped wood Banzo crept up behind him and struck him painfully with a wooden sword.

"You want to learn swordsmanship, but you can't even dodge a stick," he said.

Then every day Banzo would creep up on Matajuro and attack him with a wooden sword.

Eventually Matajuro's senses became heightened, and Banzo increased his attacks. Now Banzo would attack repeatedly through the day, even when Matajuro was asleep.

For the next four years Matajuro had not a moment's rest from the fear of unexpected attack.

One day, when Matajuro was stirring some food on the fire, Banzo again crept up and attacked him by surprise. Without thinking, or even looking up, Matajuro fended off the blow with the lid of the pot without taking his mind off stirring the food. That night Banzo wrote out a certificate of mastery for Matajuro and told him there was nothing more he could teach him.

[sandy]

Oyabun, did you ever read a book called Zen Comics? Zen stories in pictures. Very clever. You can read a few here http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com/200 ... omics.html at the Wisdom Quarterly Blog (American Buddhism on-line journal)

[Oyabun]

Zen Comics never appealed to me. I suppose I couldn't see the need to add pictures because a lot of Zen stories are quite short anyway. And most koans (paradoxical anecdotes or riddles that have no logical solution) are only a few lines. In the same way, I never felt the pictures accompanying the Jūgyū (Ten Bulls) poems added any benefit for me. The Ten Bulls, sometimes known as the Ten Ox Herding Pictures is, basically, an 800+ year old comic strip that sets out the stages on the search for self realisation.

It's probably just the strange way my mind works because I usually love Japanese woodblock prints, especially ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world).

[sandy]

Ah well I guess we can have our differing opinion without swords at ten paces *smile*