Long Beard
Japanese: Choshi
| born: c. 750 died: c. 820 place: China |
| stories: Osho The Zen Manifesto: Freedom from Oneself, ch. 6 |
Chinese simplified:
Changzi
| oshobob The Living Workshop |
| Zen Masters |
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| Sekishitsu was a disciple of Choshi. On a visit to Sekito, the monk, Sekishitsu, became enlightened. After his enlightenment, Sekishitsu went back to his master, Choshi. Choshi had also been a disciple of Sekito. Choshi said, "Did you reach Sekito?" Sekishitsu replied, "Yes, I did, but was not introduced." Choshi said, "Who did you receive precepts from?" Sekishitsu replied, "Not from him." Choshi then said, "If you were like that there, what will you be here?" Sekishitsu said, "Not much difference." Choshi said, "That is too much." Sekishitsu said, "My tongue has no color yet." Choshi replied, "You noisy novice – go away!" and Sekishitsu immediately went away. This anecdote is very strange. Its strangeness is that it is not necessary that a man of Zen will be able to understand another man of Zen. Of course, a master will be able to understand all kinds of Zen people, but a master is multidimensional, and a man of Zen is only one-dimensional. He has followed a certain path, and he thinks only by following that path does one reach to the nothingness he has reached. If one has to reach nothingness, any path will do. There are as many paths as there are people to travel. But to understand that, a great master is needed. There have been enlightened people, but still they could not understand other enlightened people for the simple reason that they have followed a certain path and the other fellow has not followed that particular path. They have become too conditioned by the path. They cannot see that when you are going into nothingness, every path is the right path... --Osho The Zen Manifesto: Freedom From Oneself, ch. 6 |