Talks on Zen
Talks given from 26/12/88 pm to 07/01/89 pm English Discourse series
1 To create a few more rainbows2 An assembly of two buddhas3 A meeting of two rivers4 In your eyes is the hope of the world5 I am just myself6 My change has taken me higher7 The world of the gurus has ended8 Truth has no history9 Be ready to be chopped10 When I call you my friends, I mean it11 Only creation shows your power12 Nothing to choose, nothing to discard
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 1 To create a few more rainbows 26 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BHAGWAN, ONCE A MONK WAS ASKED BY KYOZAN, “WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM?” TO WHICH THE MONK REPLIED, “FROM YUSHU.” KYOZAN THEN ASKED HIM, “I’D LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YUSHU; WHAT’S THE PRICE OF RICE THERE?” THE MONK REPLIED, “AS I WAS COMING HERE, I UNINTENTIONALLY PASSED OVER THE BRIDGE OF THAT TOWN AND TROD ON THE GIRDERS OF THE BRIDGE, BREAKING THEM....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 10 When I call you my friends, I mean it 4 January 1989 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, A NON-BUDDHIST SCHOLAR, MEETING MASTER DAIZUI, GAVE HIM A BOWL. A MONK OBSERVING THIS ASKED DAIZUI, “WHAT DID YOU USE BEFORE HE PRESENTED YOU WITH THE BOWL?” DAIZUI SAID, “I USED THE ONE I SHALL USE ON MY LAST DAY ON EARTH....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 11 Only creation shows your power 5 January 1989 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED ZORBA THE BUDDHA, WHEN KOKO, A DISCIPLE OF JOSHU, WENT TO SEE MASTER HOGEN, HE WAS ASKED WHERE HE HAD BEEN RECENTLY. “WITH JOSHU,” HE ANSWERED. HOGEN ASKED, “I HAVE HEARD ABOUT JOSHU AND THE OAK TREE; ISN’T THIS SO?” KOKO SAID, “IT IS NOT SO!”...
< Previous | Contents CHAPTER 12 Nothing to choose, nothing to discard 7 January 1989 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED ZORBA THE BUDDHA, WHEN HE FIRST MET SEKITO, HO KOJI ASKED, “WHO IS HE THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF ALL THINGS?” BEFORE HE COULD FINISH HIS QUESTION, SEKITO COVERED KOJI’S MOUTH WITH HIS HAND. AT THIS, KOJI UNDERWENT AN EXPERIENCE AND EXPRESSED HIMSELF IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE: “DAILY, NOTHING PARTICULAR, ONLY NODDING TO MYSELF....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 2 An assembly of two buddhas 27 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, ON ONE OCCASION WHEN A MONK ASKED KYOZAN THE MEANING OF BODHIDHARMA COMING FROM THE WEST, KYOZAN DREW A CIRCLE IN THE AIR AND PUT THE CHARACTER FOR BUDDHA INSIDE IT. THIS LEFT THE MONK WITHOUT WORDS. AT ANOTHER TIME, KYOZAN WAS LIVING IN SEKITEI TEMPLE IN KOSHU....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 3 A meeting of two rivers 28 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, ONCE KAKUSAN WENT TO SEE KYOZAN. RAISING HIS FOOT, KAKUSAN SAID, “THE TWENTY- EIGHT INDIAN PATRIARCHS WERE LIKE THIS, AND THE SIX PATRIARCHS OF THE COUNTRY OF T’ANG WERE LIKE THIS, AND YOU ARE LIKE THIS, AND I AM LIKE THIS!” KYOZAN CAME DOWN FROM THE ZEN SEAT AND HIT HIM FOUR TIMES WITH THE WISTERIA STAFF....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 4 In your eyes is the hope of the world 29 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, ONE DAY WHEN ISAN AND THE MONKS WERE ENGAGED IN PICKING TEA LEAVES, ISAN CALLED TO KYOZAN, “ALL DAY I HAVE HEARD YOUR VOICE AND NOT SEEN YOU.” KYOZAN, INSTEAD OF SAYING ANYTHING, SHOOK A TEA PLANT. ISAN SAID, “YOU HAVE GOT THE USE, BUT NOT THE SUBJECT....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 5 I am just myself 30 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, CHOSA WAS A DISCIPLE OF NANSEN AND A CONTEMPORARY OF TOKUSAN, RINZAI AND ISAN. ONE DAY CHOSA WENT FOR A WALK AND WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE GATE, THE HEAD MONK ASKED HIM, “OSHO, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN STROLLING?” CHOSA REPLIED, “I HAVE COME FROM WALKING IN THE HILLS....
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 6 My change has taken me higher 31 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, ONCE A DISCIPLE OF MA TZU, CALLED IKAN, WAS ASKED BY A MONK, “HAS THE DOG THE BUDDHA-NATURE OR NOT?” IKAN REPLIED YES, AND THE MONK THEN ASKED, “HAVE YOU GOT IT OR NOT?” IKAN RESPONDED, “I HAVE NOT.” THEN THE MONK ASKED, “ALL EXISTENT CREATURES HAVE THE BUDDHA-NATURE; HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVEN’T?...
< Previous | Contents | Next > CHAPTER 7 The world of the gurus has ended 1 January 1989 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium BELOVED BUDDHA, ONCE, AFTER DAIJI HAD BECOME AN ENLIGHTENED MASTER, HE SAID TO HIS MONKS, “I’M NOT GOING TO EXPLAIN ANY MORE DEBATES; YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST A DISEASE.” AT THIS, A MONK STOOD UP FROM THE ASSEMBLY AND CAME FORWARD; DAIJI WENT BACK TO HIS ROOM....