Zen Stories

A student asked master Bankei
“How can I cure my terrible temper?”

“Show it to me,” demanded Bankei

“I can’t just show it to you like that because it comes on unexpectedly.” explained the student

Bankei replied “It is not your true nature, then. If it were it would be with you at all time.”

*

Master Bassui reduced the whole of Buddhist teachings to one phrase “Seeing one’s own nature is Buddhahood.”

When asked how to see into one’s own nature,
master Bassui would reply “Now! Who is asking?”

*

A student who felt he had achieved Emptiness of mind boasted to his master, “Now I have no idea.”

The master replied “Why stagger about under the weight of this concept “no idea”? ”

Posted October 2007