The vigor in zazen

IT might be said that the zen student is striving for quietness in action. The quietness, however, is full of vigor. This may be observed in a Zen Buddhist. It also appears in the records that have been kept of the teachings of the old masters. Until recently only two of these records were available in English. One is the record of Huang Po called On the Transmission of Mind. The other is the Sutra of Hui-Neng (published by Luzac and Co., London). Now, however, a number of others have appeared in a three-volume collection of translations by Lu K’uan Yü (Charles Luk) called Ch’an and Zen Teaching. Because these records are interesting reading as well as demonstrations of the vigor in Zen, there follow some excerpts from the Rinzai Record. ¹

Rinzai ascended to his seat (i.e., the teacher’s raised seat) in the hall and a monk came forward. Rinzai gave a “Ho” The monk also shouted, and then bowed. Whereupon Rinzai hit him with his stick.

Commentary: Since the monk came forward to ask a question, Rinzai shouted to quell his thinking and thus help him toward enlightenment. The monk failed by not leaving immediately after bowing. Had he done so he would have revealed a degree of enlightenment. ²

Joshu on a trip came to Rinzai’s monastery. While he was washing his feet in the yard, Rinzai saw him and asked: “Why did Bodhidharma come from the Wes.”

Joshu replied: “The matter was like this mountain monk washing his fee.”

Rinzai approached the visitor as though he were listening for something. Joshu said: “You understand all this. What’s the use of fishing from others” Thereupon Rinzai returned to the abbot’s room.

Joshu: “Although I have been working for thirty years, I did poorly today.”

Commentary: Joshu was the Zen master widely known for his mu koan. Rinzai was probing Joshu, who immediately exposed the trick. As Joshu also proved to be a Zen expert, Rinzai had nothing further to say and returned to his room. This showed his enlightenment. Joshu observed that he had given by mistake a correct interpretation to one who knew it already. ³

Rinzai asked a monk: “Where do you come from” The monk replied: “From Ting Chou” Rinzai reached for his staff. The monk wondered whether he should add anything. Thereupon Rinzai gave him a blow. When the monk remonstrated with Rinzai, the latter said: “Someday you will meet a man who understands this.”

Later the monk related the incident to San Sheng who immediately hit him and, as the latter thought of a response, hit him again.

Commentary: Rinzai reached for his staff to test the monk. When the latter bethought himself of something to say, Rinzai hit him.

San Sheng was Rinzai’s disciple. He gave the monk two blows to quiet his disturbed mind and to help him to enlightenment. ⁴

On his way to visit Feng Lin Rinzai met an old woman who asked him where he was going. “To Feng Lin’s” he replied. “Feng Lin is out” said the woman. When Rinzai asked: “Where did he go”, the woman went off without answering. Rinzai called: “Hoil” When the woman looked back, Rinzai continued his journey.

Commentary: The woman did not understand Zen very well. Up to the moment when she left without replying to Rinzai’s question she was on the right track. However, when Rinzai called to test her, she failed by looking back. Rinzai continued his journey, sure that he would find Feng Lin.

Rinzai was on his raised seat in the hall. Ma Ku asked: “That statue of a Bodhisattva has twelve faces, which face is the right one” Rinzai descended, grabbed Ma Ku and said: “Where has the Bodhisattva gone? Speak! Speak” Ma Ku turned to ascend to the seat and Rinzai raised his stick to hit him. Ma Ku took hold of the stick and together they went to Rinzai’s room.

Commentary: Ma Ku was also a master. His question tested Rinzai. Rinzai’s actions were his reply. The subsequent actions showed each master’s enlightenment. They departed in understanding. ⁵

Rinzai asked a visiting nun: “Is your coming good or evil” Nun: “Ho” Rinzai lifted his stick and said: “Speak again! Speak again” Nun: “Ho” Rinzai struck her.

Commentary: The first shout by the nun was correct. The second was repetitious and showed inflexibility. So Rinzai hit her.

Once again Rinzai was on his raised seat. Ma Ku asked him: “That statue of the Bodhisattva has a thousand eyes on his thousand hands, which eye is the right one” Rinzai grabbed Ma Ku and repeated the question, then: “Speak! Speak” Ma Ku pulled Rinzai down and took the seat himself. Rinzai: “How are you doing” Ma Ku hesitated. Whereupon Rinzai shouted: “Ho” and pulled Ma Ku from the seat. Ma Ku left the hall.

Commentary: Ma Ku’s act of pulling Rinzai from the seat was correct. Then Rinzai changed his tactics, throwing Ma Ku into confusion. However, Ma Ku finally leaves the hall, showing that he has understood. ⁶

A monk: “What is the essence of Buddhism” Rinzai raised his stick. The monk: “Ho” Rinzai hit him. Another monk asked Rinzai: “What is the essence of Buddhism” Again Rinzai raised his stick. The monk: “Ho” Rinzai: “Ho” The monk hesitated. Whereupon Rinzai hit him.

Rinzai then addressed the assembly: “One should be ready to lose his soul for the Dharma. When I was with my teacher, Huang Po, I asked him three times about the essence of Buddhism and thrice he beat me till I shook. Who can repeat this experience for m.”

A monk: “I can” Rinzai extended his staff. The monk reached for it, but received a blow instead.

Commentary: The first monk’s ‘Ho’ was weak, so Rinzai struck him. Rinzai was more lenient with the second monk, but the latter’s hesitation earned him a blow. The third monk was caught in Rinzai’s trap and received a blow to teach him awareness of Rinzai and of himself instead of concern with an illusory stick. ⁷

Rinzai went with P’u Hua (the assembly leader) to the home of a patron of the monastery. While they were eating dinner Rinzai asked the leader: “Does the sentence ‘A hair can contain the great ocean and a mustard seed Mount Sumeru‘ display the Buddha’s great powers or are these things self-evident” P’u Hua sprang to his feet, and upset the table. Rinzai: “Too coarse” P’u Hua: “Is this a place where you can talk of coarseness and refinemen.”

Commentary: Rinzai set a trap for P’u Hua by quoting the Buddha’s saying about the ocean and Mount Sumeru. The saying expresses metaphorically what the mind can accomplish when enlightened. Rinzai was testing P’u Hua’s enlightenment. The latter met the test with an action instead of a discussion which would show that he was caught up in ideas.

Zen Buddhists regard an enlightened mind as a holy site. Thus, when Rinzai countered by accusing P’u Hua of being unmannerly, P’u Hua replied that they were in a place (the home of the patron, a holy site) where there can be neither coarseness nor refinement, that is, no dualism. Once again he showed his enlightenment.

The following day they were again at meal. Rinzai asked P’u Hua: “Is today’s offering the same as yesterday’s” P’u Hua again overturned the table. Rinzai: “Although your act is correct, it is too coarse” P’u Hua: “Ho! You blind fool! Does a Buddha talk about coarseness and refinement” Rinzai stuck out his tongue.

Commentary: Once more Rinzai tests P’u Hua. Would he discriminate and make a comparison between two meals? P’u Hua replies with his great gesture, wiping out all traces of discrimination. Rinzai concedes that he is right, and makes another probe. P’u Hua shouts to reveal his true self. It cannot be deceived. His question then confirms his enlightenment. Rinzai puts out his tongue to express his amazement at P’u Hua’s achievement.

Officer Wang of the imperial guard once went with Rinzai to the monks’ hall. Wang: “Do the monks read sutras in this hall” Rinzai: “No” Wang: “Do they undergo Zen training” Rinzai: “No” Wang: “If they do neither, what do they do” Rinzai: “They are taught to become Buddhas and Patriarchs” Wang: “Although gold powder is dear, it will blind the eyes when thrown into them” Rinzai: “I thought you were only a worldly ma.”

Commentary: Wang knew something about Zen, for he said that if one clung to sutras and meditation he would be blinded —using the metaphor of the gold powder and the eyes. ⁸