6
Mazu was noted for his
resourcefulness in finding expedient
means of working with his disciples.
This is illustrated by his conversion of
Shigong, who was originally a hunter,
loathing the very sight of Buddhist
monks. One day, as he was chasing
after a deer, he passed by Mazu's
monastery. Mazu came forward to
meet him. Shigong asked him whether
he had seen any deer pass by.
Mazu asked, "Who are you?"
"A hunter," he replied.
"Do you know how to shoot?" queried
Mazu.
"Of course I do," replied the hunter.
"How many can you hit with one
arrow?" asked Mazu.
"One arrow can only shoot down one
deer," said Shigong.
"In that case, you really don't know
how to shoot," Mazu commented.
The hunter then asked Mazu, "Does
your reverence know how to shoot?"
Mazu replied, "Of course I do."
"How many can you kill with one
arrow?" the hunter asked.
"I can kill a whole flock with a single
arrow," answered the master.
At this, Shigong said, "The beasts
have life as you do: why should you
shoot down a whole flock?"
Mazu said, "Since you know this so
well, why don't you shoot yourself?"
Shigong answered, "Even if I wanted to
shoot myself, I would not know how to
manage it."
At this point, Mazu remarked, "This
fellow has accumulated klesa from
ignorance for numberless aeons.
Today the whole process has come to
a sudden stop."
Tossing his arrows and bows to the
ground, Shigong became a monk and
a disciple of Mazu.
Some time later, when Shigong was
working in the kitchen, Mazu asked him
what he was doing.
"I am tending an ox," the disciple
answered.
"How do you tend it?" asked Mazu.
Shigong replied, "As soon as it returns
to the grass, I ruthlessly pull it back by
its nostrils."
This won great approval from the
master, who remarked, "You certainly
know the true way of tending an ox!"
Mazu was noted for his
resourcefulness in finding expedient
means of working with his disciples.
This is illustrated by his conversion of
Shigong, who was originally a hunter,
loathing the very sight of Buddhist
monks. One day, as he was chasing
after a deer, he passed by Mazu's
monastery. Mazu came forward to
meet him. Shigong asked him whether
he had seen any deer pass by.
Mazu asked, "Who are you?"
"A hunter," he replied.
"Do you know how to shoot?" queried
Mazu.
"Of course I do," replied the hunter.
"How many can you hit with one
arrow?" asked Mazu.
"One arrow can only shoot down one
deer," said Shigong.
"In that case, you really don't know
how to shoot," Mazu commented.
The hunter then asked Mazu, "Does
your reverence know how to shoot?"
Mazu replied, "Of course I do."
"How many can you kill with one
arrow?" the hunter asked.
"I can kill a whole flock with a single
arrow," answered the master.
At this, Shigong said, "The beasts
have life as you do: why should you
shoot down a whole flock?"
Mazu said, "Since you know this so
well, why don't you shoot yourself?"
Shigong answered, "Even if I wanted to
shoot myself, I would not know how to
manage it."
At this point, Mazu remarked, "This
fellow has accumulated klesa from
ignorance for numberless aeons.
Today the whole process has come to
a sudden stop."
Tossing his arrows and bows to the
ground, Shigong became a monk and
a disciple of Mazu.
Some time later, when Shigong was
working in the kitchen, Mazu asked him
what he was doing.
"I am tending an ox," the disciple
answered.
"How do you tend it?" asked Mazu.
Shigong replied, "As soon as it returns
to the grass, I ruthlessly pull it back by
its nostrils."
This won great approval from the
master, who remarked, "You certainly
know the true way of tending an ox!"
7
Yaoshan 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. So, seeking
guidance, he called on Shitou.
Yaoshan said to the master, "I have
only a rough knowledge of the three
vehicles, and the twelve branches of
the scriptural teaching. But I hear that
in the south there is a teaching about
`pointing directly at the mind of man
and attaining buddhahood through the
perception of the self-nature.' Now, this
is beyond my comprehension. I humbly
beseech you to graciously enlighten
me on this."
Shitou replied, "It is to be found neither
in affirmation nor in negation, nor in
affirming and negating at the same
time. So what can you do?"
Yaoshan was altogether mystified by
these words.
Hence, Shitou told him frankly, "The
cause and occasion of your
enlightenment are not present here in
this place. You should rather go to visit
the great master, Mazu."
Following the suggestion, Yaoshan
went to pay his respects to Mazu,
presenting before him the same
request as he had addressed to Shitou.
Mazu replied, "I sometimes make him
raise his eyebrows and turn his eyes;
at other times I do not let him raise his
eyebrows and turn his eyes.
Sometimes it is really he who is raising
his eyebrows and turning his eyes; at
other times it is really not he who is
raising his eyebrows and turning his
eyes. How do you understand this?"
At this, Yaoshan saw completely
eye-to-eye with Mazu and was
enlightened. He bowed reverently to
the master, who asked him, "What
truth do you perceive that you should
perform these ceremonies?"
Yaoshan said, "When I was with
Shitou, I was like a mosquito crawling
on a bronze ox."
Mazu, discerning that the
enlightenment was genuine, asked him
to take good care of the insight. He
attended upon Mazu for three years.
One day, Mazu asked again, "What do
you see recently?"
Yaoshan replied, "The skin has
entirely molted off; there remains only
the one, true reality."
Mazu said, "What you have attained is
perfectly in tune with the innermost
core of your mind, and from thence it
has spread into your four limbs. This
being the case, it is time to gird your
waist with three bamboo splints, and
go forth to make your abode on any
mountain you may like."
Yaoshan replied, "Who am I to set up
any abode on any mountain?"
Mazu said, "Not so! One cannot always
be traveling without abiding, nor
always be abiding without traveling. To
advance from where you can no longer
advance, and to do what can no longer
be done, you must make yourself into
a raft or ferryboat for others. It is not
for you to abide here forever."
Yaoshan 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. So, seeking
guidance, he called on Shitou.
Yaoshan said to the master, "I have
only a rough knowledge of the three
vehicles, and the twelve branches of
the scriptural teaching. But I hear that
in the south there is a teaching about
`pointing directly at the mind of man
and attaining buddhahood through the
perception of the self-nature.' Now, this
is beyond my comprehension. I humbly
beseech you to graciously enlighten
me on this."
Shitou replied, "It is to be found neither
in affirmation nor in negation, nor in
affirming and negating at the same
time. So what can you do?"
Yaoshan was altogether mystified by
these words.
Hence, Shitou told him frankly, "The
cause and occasion of your
enlightenment are not present here in
this place. You should rather go to visit
the great master, Mazu."
Following the suggestion, Yaoshan
went to pay his respects to Mazu,
presenting before him the same
request as he had addressed to Shitou.
Mazu replied, "I sometimes make him
raise his eyebrows and turn his eyes;
at other times I do not let him raise his
eyebrows and turn his eyes.
Sometimes it is really he who is raising
his eyebrows and turning his eyes; at
other times it is really not he who is
raising his eyebrows and turning his
eyes. How do you understand this?"
At this, Yaoshan saw completely
eye-to-eye with Mazu and was
enlightened. He bowed reverently to
the master, who asked him, "What
truth do you perceive that you should
perform these ceremonies?"
Yaoshan said, "When I was with
Shitou, I was like a mosquito crawling
on a bronze ox."
Mazu, discerning that the
enlightenment was genuine, asked him
to take good care of the insight. He
attended upon Mazu for three years.
One day, Mazu asked again, "What do
you see recently?"
Yaoshan replied, "The skin has
entirely molted off; there remains only
the one, true reality."
Mazu said, "What you have attained is
perfectly in tune with the innermost
core of your mind, and from thence it
has spread into your four limbs. This
being the case, it is time to gird your
waist with three bamboo splints, and
go forth to make your abode on any
mountain you may like."
Yaoshan replied, "Who am I to set up
any abode on any mountain?"
Mazu said, "Not so! One cannot always
be traveling without abiding, nor
always be abiding without traveling. To
advance from where you can no longer
advance, and to do what can no longer
be done, you must make yourself into
a raft or ferryboat for others. It is not
for you to abide here forever."
8
A monk once drew four lines in front of
Mazu. 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?"
Mazu drew one line on the ground and
said, "This could be called either long
or short. That is my answer."
On another occasion, a monk said to
Mazu, "What is the meaning of
Bodhidharma's coming from the West?"
Mazu replied, "At this moment, what do
you mean by `meaning'?"
Again the monk asked the question,
and Mazu struck him, saying, "If I didn't
strike you, people would laugh at me."
Yi of Rokutan (J.) asked Mazu the
same question about Bodhidharma's
coming from the West.
Mazu said, "Lower your voice and
come a little nearer!"
Yi went nearer. Mazu struck him once,
and said, "Six ears do not have the
same plan. Come another day."
Later,Yi went to the hall and said, "I
implore you to tell me!"
Mazu said to him, "Go away for a time
and come to the hall again when you
have a chance, and I'll publicly confirm
it."
Yi thereupon was enlightened. He said,
"I thank everybody for their
confirmation," and marched round the
hall once, and went off.
On a later occasion, another monk
said to Mazu, "Please transcend the
four sayings and refrain from the
hundred negations, and tell me the
meaning of Bodhidharma's coming
from the West."
Mazu said, "Today I'm tired and I can't
tell you. Go and ask Zhizang."
The monk went and asked Zhizang,
who said, "Why don't you ask the
master?"
"He told me to come and ask you," said
the monk.
"I've got an awful headache today,"
said Zhizang, "so I can't tell you; go
and ask Baozhang."
The monk then went to Baizhang, who
said, "Well, as to that, I myself really
don't know."
The monk reported all this to Mazu,
who said, "Baizhang's cap is black;
Zhizang's cap is white."
A monk once drew four lines in front of
Mazu. 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?"
Mazu drew one line on the ground and
said, "This could be called either long
or short. That is my answer."
On another occasion, a monk said to
Mazu, "What is the meaning of
Bodhidharma's coming from the West?"
Mazu replied, "At this moment, what do
you mean by `meaning'?"
Again the monk asked the question,
and Mazu struck him, saying, "If I didn't
strike you, people would laugh at me."
Yi of Rokutan (J.) asked Mazu the
same question about Bodhidharma's
coming from the West.
Mazu said, "Lower your voice and
come a little nearer!"
Yi went nearer. Mazu struck him once,
and said, "Six ears do not have the
same plan. Come another day."
Later,Yi went to the hall and said, "I
implore you to tell me!"
Mazu said to him, "Go away for a time
and come to the hall again when you
have a chance, and I'll publicly confirm
it."
Yi thereupon was enlightened. He said,
"I thank everybody for their
confirmation," and marched round the
hall once, and went off.
On a later occasion, another monk
said to Mazu, "Please transcend the
four sayings and refrain from the
hundred negations, and tell me the
meaning of Bodhidharma's coming
from the West."
Mazu said, "Today I'm tired and I can't
tell you. Go and ask Zhizang."
The monk went and asked Zhizang,
who said, "Why don't you ask the
master?"
"He told me to come and ask you," said
the monk.
"I've got an awful headache today,"
said Zhizang, "so I can't tell you; go
and ask Baozhang."
The monk then went to Baizhang, who
said, "Well, as to that, I myself really
don't know."
The monk reported all this to Mazu,
who said, "Baizhang's cap is black;
Zhizang's cap is white."
9
On one occasion, a monk called on
Mazu and asked him, "Who is the man
who does not take all dharmas as his
companions?"
Mazu replied, "I will tell you this after
you have swallowed all the water in
Jiangxi."
Upon hearing this, the monk was
instantaneously awakened, and he
stayed for two years at Mazu's
monastery.
At another time, Mazu said, "Every
dharma is the dharma of the mind, and
every name is a name of the mind. All
beings are born of the mind, and so
mind is the foundation of all beings.
"As an example: the shadow of the
moon reflected on the water has many
shapes, but the real moon is not like
that. Likewise there are various rivers,
but the nature of the water is the
same. Although there are myriad
activities, there is no discrimination in
the emptiness. Different things go
through the different ways, but the
liberated wisdom is one. All are based
on one mind.
"Every dharma is based on the dharma
of Buddha. Each dharma is instantly
the dharma of realization, and the
dharma of realization is, things being
as they really are.
"All that come and go and have a rest,
or sit and lie down, are the mysterious
work, and they don't need a process of
time. The scriptures also say: `All
around everywhere, instantaneously
there are buddhas.'"
Mazu continued, "Cultivation is of no
use for the attainment of Dao. The
only thing that one can do is to be free
of defilement. When one's mind is
stained with thoughts of life and death,
or deliberate action, that is defilement.
The grasping of the truth is the
function of everyday-mindedness.
"Everyday-mindedness is free from
intentional action, free from concepts
of right and wrong, taking and giving,
the finite or the infinite.... All our daily
activities – walking, standing, sitting,
lying down – all response to situations,
our dealings with circumstances as
they arise: all this is Dao."
On one occasion, a monk called on
Mazu and asked him, "Who is the man
who does not take all dharmas as his
companions?"
Mazu replied, "I will tell you this after
you have swallowed all the water in
Jiangxi."
Upon hearing this, the monk was
instantaneously awakened, and he
stayed for two years at Mazu's
monastery.
At another time, Mazu said, "Every
dharma is the dharma of the mind, and
every name is a name of the mind. All
beings are born of the mind, and so
mind is the foundation of all beings.
"As an example: the shadow of the
moon reflected on the water has many
shapes, but the real moon is not like
that. Likewise there are various rivers,
but the nature of the water is the
same. Although there are myriad
activities, there is no discrimination in
the emptiness. Different things go
through the different ways, but the
liberated wisdom is one. All are based
on one mind.
"Every dharma is based on the dharma
of Buddha. Each dharma is instantly
the dharma of realization, and the
dharma of realization is, things being
as they really are.
"All that come and go and have a rest,
or sit and lie down, are the mysterious
work, and they don't need a process of
time. The scriptures also say: `All
around everywhere, instantaneously
there are buddhas.'"
Mazu continued, "Cultivation is of no
use for the attainment of Dao. The
only thing that one can do is to be free
of defilement. When one's mind is
stained with thoughts of life and death,
or deliberate action, that is defilement.
The grasping of the truth is the
function of everyday-mindedness.
"Everyday-mindedness is free from
intentional action, free from concepts
of right and wrong, taking and giving,
the finite or the infinite.... All our daily
activities – walking, standing, sitting,
lying down – all response to situations,
our dealings with circumstances as
they arise: all this is Dao."
10
Mazu 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 Mazu
struck him.
The monk said, "The master could not
strike me!"
Mazu went off leaning on his staff.
On another occasion, Layman Pang
said to Mazu, "Water has no bones,
but it easily holds up a ship of a
thousand tons; how is this?"
Mazu said, "There's no water here,
and no ship - what am I supposed to
explain?"
One day, Impo(J.) was pushing a cart,
and Mazu had his legs stretched out
across the path. Impo said, "Please,
master, pull in your legs!"
"What has been stretched out," said
Mazu, "cannot be retracted!"
"What goes forward cannot go
backwards!" said Impo and pushed the
cart on.
Mazu's legs were cut and bruised.
When they went back, Mazu entered
the hall, and said, lifting up an ax,
"Come here, the monk who hurt my
legs a while ago!" Impo came out and
stood before Mazu and bent his neck
to receive the strike.
Mazu put down the ax.
Mazu never lost an opportunity to
make a point, usually in an enigmatic
way. Even during his last illness he
made his well-known response to
someone who inquired about his
health. He said, "Sun-faced buddhas,
moon-faced buddhas."
One day, Mazu climbed Mount Shimen,
the mountain close to his temple at
Jiangxi. In the forest, he walked in
meditation for a time. Then, seeing a
flat place in the valley below, Mazu
said to the disciple who had come with
him, "Next month, my carcass must be
returned to the earth here." At that, he
made his way back to the temple.
On the fourth day of the next month,
after bathing, he quietly sat down with
crossed legs and passed away.
Mazu had lived at Jiangxi for fifty years
and died at the age of eighty.
Mazu 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 Mazu
struck him.
The monk said, "The master could not
strike me!"
Mazu went off leaning on his staff.
On another occasion, Layman Pang
said to Mazu, "Water has no bones,
but it easily holds up a ship of a
thousand tons; how is this?"
Mazu said, "There's no water here,
and no ship - what am I supposed to
explain?"
One day, Impo(J.) was pushing a cart,
and Mazu had his legs stretched out
across the path. Impo said, "Please,
master, pull in your legs!"
"What has been stretched out," said
Mazu, "cannot be retracted!"
"What goes forward cannot go
backwards!" said Impo and pushed the
cart on.
Mazu's legs were cut and bruised.
When they went back, Mazu entered
the hall, and said, lifting up an ax,
"Come here, the monk who hurt my
legs a while ago!" Impo came out and
stood before Mazu and bent his neck
to receive the strike.
Mazu put down the ax.
Mazu never lost an opportunity to
make a point, usually in an enigmatic
way. Even during his last illness he
made his well-known response to
someone who inquired about his
health. He said, "Sun-faced buddhas,
moon-faced buddhas."
One day, Mazu climbed Mount Shimen,
the mountain close to his temple at
Jiangxi. In the forest, he walked in
meditation for a time. Then, seeing a
flat place in the valley below, Mazu
said to the disciple who had come with
him, "Next month, my carcass must be
returned to the earth here." At that, he
made his way back to the temple.
On the fourth day of the next month,
after bathing, he quietly sat down with
crossed legs and passed away.
Mazu had lived at Jiangxi for fifty years
and died at the age of eighty.
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