< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 1 The mirror 16 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, WHEN NANGAKU FIRST SAW MA TZU, HE RECOGNIZED HIM BY INTUITION AS A VESSEL OF THE DHARMA. HE VISITED MA TZU IN HIS CELL WHERE HE WAS MEDITATING, AND ASKED HIM: “IN PRACTICING SITTING MEDITATION, WHAT DOES YOUR REVERENCE ASPIRE TO ATTAIN?” “TO ATTAIN BUDDHAHOOD” WAS MA TZU’S REPLY....

< Previous | Contents ‌CHAPTER 10 Moon-face 25 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, MA TZU WAS ONE DAY TEACHING A MONK. HE DREW A CIRCLE ON THE GROUND AND SAID, “IF YOU ENTER IT, I WILL STRIKE YOU; IF YOU DO NOT ENTER IT, I WILL STRIKE YOU!” THE MONK ENTERED IT SLIGHTLY, AND MA TZU STRUCK HIM. THE MONK SAID, “THE MASTER COULD NOT STRIKE ME!...

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 2 Sowing seed 17 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, AFTER HIS FIRST INSTRUCTIONS FROM HIS MASTER, NANGAKU, ON THE MEANING OF THE DHARMA, MA TZU FELT AS IF HE WERE DRINKING THE MOST EXQUISITE NECTAR. AFTER BOWING TO THE MASTER, MA TZU ASKED HIM, “HOW MUST ONE BE ATTUNED TO THE FORMLESS SAMADHI?” THE MASTER SAID, “WHEN YOU CULTIVATE THE WAY OF INTERIOR WISDOM, IT IS LIKE SOWING SEED....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 3 Ripe plum 18 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, ONE DAY, WHEN MA TZU WAS ON HIS WAY HOME FROM CHIANG-SI, HE STOPPED TO VISIT HIS OLD MASTER, NANGAKU. WHEN MA TZU HAD BURNED INCENSE AND MADE BOWS TO NANGAKU, NANGAKU GAVE HIM THIS VERSE: “I ADVISE YOU NOT TO GO HOME. IF YOU DO, THE TAO IS IMMOVABLE....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 4 Twisted nose 19 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, ONE DAY, AS HYAKUJO WAS VISITING HIS MASTER, MA TZU, A FLOCK OF WILD GEESE FLEW OVERHEAD. MA TZU ASKED, “WHAT ARE THEY?” “THEY ARE WILD GEESE, SIR,” SAID HYAKUJO. “WHERE ARE THEY?” ASKED THE MASTER. “THEY HAVE FLOWN AWAY, SIR,” REPLIED HYAKUJO. MA TZU SUDDENLY TOOK HOLD OF HYAKUJO’S NOSE AND TWISTED IT....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 5 Like a cow 20 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, MA TZU HAD THREE OUTSTANDING DISCIPLES WHO ENJOYED A SPECIAL INTIMACY WITH HIM. THEY WERE NAN-CHUAN, CHIH-TSANG, AND HUI-HAI (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS HYAKUJO). ONE EVENING, AS THE THREE DISCIPLES WERE ATTENDING ON THEIR MASTER, ENJOYING THE MOON TOGETHER, HE ASKED THEM WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY OF SPENDING SUCH A NIGHT....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 6 The hunter 21 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, MA TZU WAS NOTED FOR HIS RESOURCEFULNESS IN FINDING EXPEDIENT MEANS OF WORKING WITH HIS DISCIPLES. THIS IS ILLUSTRATED BY HIS CONVERSION OF SHIH- KUNG, WHO WAS ORIGINALLY A HUNTER, LOATHING THE VERY SIGHT OF BUDDHIST MONKS. ONE DAY, AS HE WAS CHASING AFTER A DEER, HE PASSED BY MA TZU’S MONASTERY....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 7 To the source 22 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, YAKUSAN BEGAN HIS BUDDHIST STUDIES IN THE SCHOOL OF VINAYA SO HE WAS WELL- VERSED IN SCRIPTURAL STUDIES AND ASCETICS BY THE TIME HE WAS INTRODUCED TO ZEN. HE BEGAN TO FEEL THAT THESE THINGS WERE NOT YET THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. HE LONGED FOR TRUE FREEDOM AND PURITY BEYOND THE FORMULAS OF THE DHARMA....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 8 This moment 23 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, A MONK ONCE DREW FOUR LINES IN FRONT OF MA TZU. THE TOP LINE WAS LONG AND THE REMAINING THREE WERE SHORT. HE THEN DEMANDED OF THE MASTER, “BESIDES SAYING THAT ONE LINE IS LONG AND THE OTHER THREE ARE SHORT, WHAT ELSE COULD YOU SAY?” MA TZU DREW ONE LINE ON THE GROUND AND SAID, “THIS COULD BE CALLED EITHER LONG OR SHORT....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 9 No ripples 24 September 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, ON ONE OCCASION, A MONK CALLED ON MA TZU AND ASKED HIM, “WHO IS THE MAN WHO DOES NOT TAKE ALL DHARMAS AS HIS COMPANIONS?” MA TZU REPLIED, “I WILL TELL YOU THIS AFTER YOU HAVE SWALLOWED ALL THE WATER IN THE WEST RIVER.” UPON HEARING THIS, THE MONK WAS INSTANTANEOUSLY AWAKENED, AND HE STAYED FOR TWO YEARS AT MA TZU’S MONASTERY....