In Sun-Face Buddha: The Record of Mazu, there are many accounts where a monk asks Mazu a question, Mazu answers/cuts them down, and when that monk is about to leave, Mazu calls out "OH BTW!" and the monk will turn around to Mazu, and have a sudden realization.
Example #1:
When Ch'an Master Wu-yeh of Fen-chou went to see the Patriarch, the Patriarch noticed that his appearance was extraordinary and that his voice was like the sound off a bell.
He said, "Such an imposing Buddha hall, but no Buddha in it."
Wu-yeh respectfully kneeled down, and said, "I have studied the texts that contain the teachings of the three vehicles and have been able to roughly understand their meaning. I have also often heard about the teaching of the Ch'an school that mind is Buddha: this is something I have not yet been able to understand."
The Patriarch said, "This very mind that does not understand is it. There is no other thing."
Wu-yeh further asked, "What is the mind-seal that the Patriarch has secretly transmitted from the West?"
The Patriarch said, "The Venerable looks rather disturbed right now. Go and come some other time."
As Wu-yeh was just about to step out, the Patriarch called him, "Venerable!"
Wu-yeh turned his head and the Patriarch asked him, "What is it?"
On hearing this, Wu-yeh experienced awakening. He bowed to the Patriarch, who said, "This stupid fellow! What is this bowing all about?"
Example #2:
Lecture Master Liang went to see the Patriarch.
The Patriarch asked him, "I have heard that the Venerable has been lecturing on many sutras and sastras. Is that true?"
"Yes." replied Liang.
The Patriarch then asked him, "What do you lecture with?
Liang replied, "I lecture with my mind."
The Patriarch said, "'The mind is like an actor, consciousness is like a coadjutor. How can they explain the sutras?"
Liang said in a raised voice, "If the mind cannot lecture, is it that empty space can lecture?"
The Patriarch said, "Yes, indeed, empty space can lecture."
Liang disagreed with that and started to leave.
When he was about to step down the stairs, the Patriarch called him, "Venerable lecturer!"
Liang turned his head and suddenly had a great awakening.
He bowed to the Patriarch, who said, "This stupid monk! What are you bowing for?"
Later, when Liang returned to his monastery, he said to the assembly, "I used to think that no one could lecture on the sutras as well as I did. Today a single question by the Great Master Ma rendered my whole life's work like a melting ice or broken tile." He then returned to the Western Mountain and no trace was found of him afterwards.
Now here's the funny one:
Once a lecturing monk came [to the Patriarch], and asked, "What Dharma does the Ch'an school teach?"
The Patriarch asked him, "What Dharma does the Lecture Master teach?"
The lecturer replied, "I have lectured on over twenty sutras and sastras."
The Patriarch said, "Aren't you a lion?"
The lecturer said, "Thank you."
Thereupon, the Patriarch hissed.
The lecturer said, "That is Dharma."
The Patriarch asked, "What Dharma is it?"
The lecturer said, "It is the lion coming out of a cave."
The Patriarch kept silent.
The lecturer said, "That is also Dharma."
The Patriarch asked, "What Dharma is it?"
The lecturer said, "It is the lion in a cave."
Then the Patriarch asked, "When there is neither coming out nor going in, what Dharma is that?"
The lecturer had no reply.
He then started to leave.
When he reached the door, the Patriarch called him, "Lecture Master!"
The lecturer turned his head and the Patriarch asked him, "What is it?"
The lecturer had no reply again.
"This stupid lecturer." said the Patriarch.
Looks like the plum wasn't ripe yet!
Submitted November 18, 2018 at 01:38AM by McNubbitz https://ift.tt/2Q1xdxg
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