One night, whilst Enō was hard at work in the rice shed at Ōbai, Daiman Kōnin entered and asked, "Is the rice indeed white?" Enō replied, "It is white but it has not yet been winnowed." Damian struck Enō's rice-pounding mortar thrice with his staff; Enō shook the rice in the winnowing fan three times… Continue reading Hui Neng (慧能 Enō）
When Kánin encountered Dáshin on the road to Übai, Dáshin asked him, “What is your clan name?” Kánin said, “I have a NATURE but I do not have a conventional clan name.” Dáshin asked, “And what is IT?” Kánin replied, “It is the BUDDHA NATURE.” Dáshin queried, “So you have no clan name?” Kánin answered, “Because ORIGINAL NATURE is empty, I… Continue reading Hung-ren (弘忍 Kánin)
Bowing before Great Master Kanchi, Dáshin said, “Please, Reverend Monk, I beg you, from your compassion, to impart to me the Dharma Gate of liberation.” Kanchi said, “Who is preventing you from entering?” Dáshin answered, “No one is preventing me.” Kanchi said, “Then why do you seek liberation from me?” At these words Dáshin experienced… Continue reading Tao-hsin (道信 Dáshin)
Upon meeting Eka, Sásan asked him, “My body is riddled with disease; please, Reverend Monk, cleanse me of my defilement.” Eka replied, “Bring me your defilement and I will cleanse you of it.” Sásan thought long and hard about this, then said, “I have searched for my defilement but cannot find it.” Eka replied, “I… Continue reading Seng-ts’an (僧璨 Sásan）
Whilst serving and training with Bodaidaruma (Bodhidharma), Eka one day told him, “I have by now severed all my karmic ties.” Bodaidaruma said, “You are not denying the law of karma, are you?” Eka answered, “No, I am not.” Bodaidaruma asked him, “And how can you be sure of this?” Eka replied, “Clearly, and beyond… Continue reading Hui-k’o (慧可 Eka)
One day Hannyatara asked Bodaidaruma (Bodhidharma), “Amongst all things, which is without any characteristics?” Bodaidaruma replied, “The NON-ARISING is without characteristics.” Hannyatara asked, “Amongst all things, which is the greatest?” Bodaidaruma answered, “The DHARMA-NATURE is the greatest.” Listen (part I) Listen (part II) Bodaidaruma was of the warrior caste. Originally his name was Bodaitara; he… Continue reading Bodhidharma (达摩）
Upon seeing the morning star, Gautama became Shakyamuni Buddha when He was, is and will be awakened to His TRUE SELF and said, says and will say, “I was, am and will be enlightened, together with the whole of the great earth and all its sentient beings, simultaneously.” Listen Gautama belonged to the Indian Nisshu… Continue reading Shakyamuni Buddha
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