Quotation

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

a Collection of Zen and pre-Zen Writings
“It was extremely hot one day so some of us took a nap. Our schoolmaster scolded us. ‘ We went to dream-land to meet the ancient sages the same as Confucius did, ’ we explained. ‘ What was the message from those sages? ’ our schoolmaster demanded. One of us replied: ‘ We went to dreamland and met the sages and asked them if our schoolmaster came there every afternoon, but they said they had never seen any such fellow. ’ ” === The nun wished to burn incense before her golden Buddha. Not liking the idea of the perfume straying to the others, she devised a funnel through which the smoke would ascend only to her statue. This blackened the nose of the golden Buddha, making it especially ugly. === When Ryonen was about to pass from this world, she wrote another poem: Sixty-six times have these eyes beheld the changing scene of autumn. I have said enough about moonlight, Ask no more. Only listen to the voice of pines and cedars when no wind stirs.