This is the sixth day of this July 2024 7 Day sesshin and we'll turn to a koan this morning.
This is from the Mumonkan the gateless barrier to number 13 talks on carries his bowls
these are all Chinese masters in these in these koans after all, Zen or or Chan is Chinese invention came from China before it went to Japan and Korea. I feel a little regretful that not to use the Chinese the original Chinese names, but first of all, they're hard to pronounce. And secondly, they're hard to remember it is for for those of you who are listening when I was listening to Roshi capitalist teisho, that did pick up started to remember some of these names but it's easier in the in the Japanese versions of his name, so that's what we'll use the Japanese versions talks on the Japanese name for a dushaan. One day, there's the case one day, tokes on came down to the dining room, carrying his bowls Seppo the cook called out to him, Old Master, where are you going with your bowls? When the bell has not wrong, and the drum has not sounded. Talks on turned at once, and went back to his own room. Later Seppo told this occurrence to Gonzo, who remarked great master though he is toxin has not yet grasped the last word of Zen. And then hearing of this toxin sent his attendant to ask Gonzo to come and said to him. Don't you approve of me? God told leaned over and whispered his reply to him. Toxin said nothing further. The next day in his teisho toxin was different from usual. God told going towards the front of the hall, clapping his hands and laughing said What a happy thing. The old man has now grasped the last word of Zen. From now on, nobody will be able to get the better of him so first, some biographical material on these on these three. I'll start with the
the youngest and the age, Gonzo, Kanto these, these three are three of the most illustrious of the Tang Dynasty masters. The Tang Dynasty is came to be called the golden age of Zen. Tang Dynasty is roughly that roughly downhome Eros roughly 700 to 950 or 1000. And then after that came a Song Dynasty and more recent scholars have made that made the argument that the Song Dynasty masters were even greater everything considered than the Tang Dynasty masters maybe the Tang Dynasty masters are more colorful they became known for their striking and shouting and these are three of them are turning here to our beloved texts called Z end's Chinese heritage masters in their teaching. And this is a Translated by Andy Ferguson. So his dates, God told the young young, the younger of, of the youngest. His dates are the ninth century. It's just keep it simple. And he was a disciple of toxin as we, as we gather from this, this koan. I'm just going to hit some highlights here. As a young man, he first studied the Vinaya and the Buddhist sutras. The Vinaya is the sect of Chinese Buddhism that emphasizes emphasize the the monastic rules and regulations in depth, in depth investigation of all the monastic rules and regulations. And this wasn't so unusual that someone who went to become Zen Mac went on to become a Zen master and started with the study of vinyasa and the sutras. So he began with study, not Zen training, but study doctrine and then, finally, gone toe bound toxin and became his Dharma Heir.
Here's a short story, also involving the two Junior monks in this today's koan gone toe and Seppo. One day gone toe was talking with Seppo Seppo suddenly pointed at a basin of water. The third, there were two or three of them gone toe was talking with Seppo and kinsman Seppo pointed at this basin of water kinsman said when the water is clear, the moon comes out Seppo said when the water is clear, the moon does not come out. And Kanto just kicked over the basin and walked away
we feel we can we can discern in many many koan, most koans, the implicit teaching of formlessness no thingness. This is where we hear it in the Prajnaparamita form is only emptiness, emptiness only form
in affirming faith in mind, there's that line what is is not what is not his. Form is only emptiness, emptiness only form. So, the skins on when Seppo point is his basin of water, he is in effect inviting his two brother monks to come up with something and kinsman says when the water is clear, the moon comes out this is a classic kind of metaphor in Zen literature, when the mind is clear, be our original enlightened nature is is appears. Settle, turned it upside down. When the water is clear, the moon does not come out. Or as Hakuin says our true nature our true self is no self. There it is again the the paradox, our true self is no self. When the water is clear, the moon does not appear Got to get the last word with his foot
a lot of the koans for those of you who aren't working on working on them, a lot of them is just the Masters playing with a paradox at the heart of Zen that you can take either side, the side of form of the side of emptiness, the side of, of differentiation of fineness and the side of non differentiation or no thingness.
And then we're already at the end of the material on Gonzo, says here during the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Everytime I read a reference to the tumultuous history of China, ancient China with civil wars and all that reminded we can all be reminded that what we're facing today in this country, peoples throughout history have faced many times and found their way through.
During the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, bandits were to be found everywhere. The congregation all left the temple to hide in the forest. Hope we got a nice little forest here we can hide in. Gone toe alone. Gonzo alone stayed at the temple where he just sat in Zen. One day the head of the bandits came to the temple. He was enraged because there was no booty there. And he brandish his knife and stabbed gone toe. Gone toe remain composed than let out a resounding scream and died. The sound was heard for two miles or so goes the legend. He was given the posthumous Name Zen master clear severity. And then we'll move on now to Seppo who was actually six years older than gone toe. But a little behind him. In his practice, he sort of got into was more more or less his kind of a teacher Junior teacher to step off. Step Oh of course is also a disciple of talks on the old master and today's story. There's some little tidbits that you can take them for what they're worth. It's recorded that as a toddler Seppo refused to eat non vegetarian food. Another one one day while being carried on his mother's back, a funeral spectacle of flags and flowers appeared. This caused a profound change in the child's countless you would expect that a child but I did. When I was in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a woman. They're a member of their Sangha. Who mentioned having her family is from the Rochester area. And she remember the her earliest her earliest memory she told me her earliest memory at the age of two was seeing that elephant coming striding out with a trumpets. It's this paper mache elephant that we use at the celebration of the Buddha's birthday. So, so touching to hear
she's suddenly something like 50 Now 40 or 50?
Little bit, a couple anecdotes about Seppo who in today's koan is the head cook
Seppo served as a rice cook that's not the head cook but a secondary cook at at certain monastery one day as he was straining the rice the master asked him do you strain the rice out from the sand? Or do you strain the sand out from the rice? Course he's he's trying to get something going but sepco trying to see how SAP on my respond Seppo said sand and rice are both strained out at once. The master said in that case, what will the monks eat and then Seppo just tipped over the rice pot
this is my favorite story, most memorable story of, of Seppo and DONTO. When Seppo was traveling with Gonzo and tortoise mountain, they were temporarily stuck in an in during a snowstorm. Each day gone toe spent the entire day sleeping Seppo spent each day sitting in Zen meditation. One day gone toe called out. Elder brother elder brother get up. Gone toe said what is it? Suppose said don't be idle. Monks on pilgrimage have profound wisdom as their companion. This companion must accompany us at all times. But here today, all you are doing is sleeping. Remember the sleeping one is is the junior of the two but also the more advanced and his practice gone to yell back. Just eat your fill and sleep sitting there and meditation all the time. It's like being some clay figure in a villagers hut. In the future, you'll just spoke the men and women of the village. And then this is quite pointed sepal pointed to his own chest and said I feel uneasy here. Not at rest. I don't dare cheat myself by not practicing diligently. Gunther said I always say that someday you will build a cottage on a lonely mountain peak and expound the great teaching. Yet you still talk like this Seppo I'm truly anxious. Gunther said if that's really so then reveal your understanding and where it is correct. I'll confirm it for you. Where it's incorrect I routed out Seppo says when I first went to young ones place I heard him expound on emptiness and form at that time I found an entrance we can take this as the first break through what we would call passing someone on the first call on at that time I found an entrance that Chinese senators caller entering the gate very very slight Kensho let's say at that time I found an entrance God doe said for the next 30 years don't speak of this matter again. Maybe he's saying maybe saying okay it's nothing to write home about Forget it. Forget it. Remember discard every experience we have suppose said and then I saw dome Sean's poem that said avoid seeking elsewhere for that's far from the self the true self. Now I travel alone everywhere I need it. Now it's exactly me. Now I'm not it. Actually self has no self. Kanto says that that's so you'll never save yourself. Seppo then said later I asked talks on can a student understand the essence of the ancient teachings. He struck me and said But what did you say? At that moment? It was like the bottom falling out of a bucket of water. So, deep enlightenment Gantos said, so already now there is the first slight awakening. And then now he's suppose recounting a deeper awakening. And it continues Gantos said, haven't you heard it said that what comes in through the front gate? Isn't the family jewels? Doctor said, Excuse me, Seppo said then in the future, what should I do? canto said in the future, if you want to expound a great teaching, then it must flow for from your own breast. In the future you're teaching you're teaching in mind will cover heaven on earth. And then it says that when sepal heard this, he now experienced unsurpassed enlightenment. And then he bowed to God toe and said, elder brother at last today on tortoise mountain, I've attained the way.
In in one of his books, Aiken Roshi distinguishes between what he calls people of talent and people of effort. Gone toe, the the, the sort of a little, spiritually senior, of these two Gonzo, he says is a person of talent. That which means he probably came to enlightenment quite quickly. He had a great, great, he was endowed with a great precocious mind Seppo as a man of effort, it didn't come so easily to him. He had to work at it long and hard. But he went on to become very famous master himself one of the great ones who they say never had fewer than 1500 monks at his monastery we, we we each have our own karma. We each have our baggage, our limitations and our strengths. It doesn't matter in terms of the long term the big picture, we just meet ourselves where we are and work.
After we're still, we're still now on Seppo. The head cook of via in this koan after Seppo, assume the abbacy at Snow Peak. A monk asked him when you were at toxins place, what was it you attained? That allowed you to stop looking further Seppo said I went with empty hands and returned with empty hands empty.
A monk asked Seppo What is it if my fundamentally correct eye it says bodhi mind original enlightenment. What is it if my fundamentally correct I sometimes goes astray because of my teacher Seppo said you haven't really met Bodhidharma the monk said where is my I Seppo said you won't get it from your teacher.
We're not going to have enough time to get into any depth with the biography of toxin. He figures in maybe half a dozen call ons in collection. Just to just mention a couple of things. Remind some of you who he is
his, he began as one of these others who just mentioned he began as a scholar studying first the Vidya and then became an authority a famous authority on the Diamond Sutra. He acquired the nickname diamond Zhao.
After years and years of study, he heard about this Chan School in the south, that claim to be able to come to awakening in this lifetime, saw something he had, he had studied. Chan or Zen was was a revolutionary new school in China. Before chon Buddhism been around for plenty long. centuries.
He said, when he heard that the southern School of Chan was flourishing, he railed against it saying, those who leave home these become monks, those who leave home may study the great meaning of the Dharma for 1000 kalpas and spend a further 10,000 Calpis, performing detailed Buddhist practice, yet they still won't become a Buddha. How dare those southern devils say that just by pointing at the human mind, we can see our self nature and attain Buddhahood and to go drag them from their caves, and exterminate their ilk, and thus repay the kindness of Buddha. He was on a mission. So he set off with all of his commentaries his favorite commentaries on the Diamond Sutra, and went on a long journey to go down there and get rid of them. And then he had this famous encounter with the old woman on the road, who was selling them some. And she posed this question that that completely flipped them out. She said. He told her that he was he was a great scholar in the Diamond Sutra. And she said, I have a question for you. If you answer it right, then I'll donate a dim sum to you if you can't answer, then you must go elsewhere. Now, my question in the Diamond Sutra, it says, past the mind cannot be attained, present mind cannot be attained, future mind cannot be attained. And she said, I want to know Mark, what mind are you revealing right now. And at that he was left speechless. And then he went on to Longton, another famous master there. He had this, he had a long discussion in deep into the night about the Diamond Sutra or really the essence of the Diamond Sutra form and emptiness. And then, as he was leaving, he asked for a candle so he could find his way out into the dark. And Luke tan lit the candle, and as he handed it to toxin, he blew it out. Darkness and that that took son came to enlightenment. And it was a complete conversion for him. Then, then, you know so many people who went from one extreme to the other, he had no use anymore for sutras, scriptures of any kind doctrine. He went out, placed all of his Diamond Sutra material in a pile in front of the Dharma Hall, and lifting a candle. He said, All the mysterious doctrines are but a speck of dust in a vast void. All the great affairs of the world are but a drop of water, cast into a boundless chasm. And then he set fire to all those books that he had cherished so much.
Here's a short one, or talks on said to the monks, as soon as you ask, you have Urd made a mistake. You don't if you don't ask you're also wrong. A monk came forward and bowed. Talks on struck him. The monk said, I just bowed. Why did you hit me to axon said What use would it be to wait until you opened your mouth
all kidding aside, trucks are no doubt could see as he was approaching him, that he he had no clue as to have everybody self nature. That is whatever question who is going to ask would be kind of beside the point?
Here's one more. Step out back to Seppo. Now he asked, talks on can I understand the great teachings of the ancients or not? Talks on struck him and said what Seppo said I don't understand. The next day Seppo came again for instruction. Talks on said my teaching, my teaching has neither words nor phrases. It is actually without a Dharma that may be given to others. And that these words Seppo experienced enlightenment. When Gonzo heard about this, he said old toxins backbone was as hard as iron. It couldn't be bent.
When talk son was very old, he indicated to come here and Mark asked Is there someone and he came to him and said Is there someone who is not ill? Another Dharma challenge. Talks on said yes, the monk asked. So what about the one who is not ill? Talks on yelled ah ah
what is is not what is not is and it's at his death talks on gave a final admonishment to his congregation saying, groping after what is empty and chasing Echoes will only fatigue your mind and spirit beyond awakening from a dream and then going beyond this awakening, what matters remain. And then he actually saying this he peacefully sat up and passed away. And his posthumous name was Zen master the whole self nature
But this before we turn back to the case about this matter of emptiness, there's no way to understand it, really to grasp it without awakening. But it's not. It's not because it is the fundamental. It's not limited to the Zen school is that wonderful? poem from a, a 14th century Kashmiri sage, a woman from cashmere in the 14th century. Her name was Lala words of Lala and misery. This is her her way of expressing it. There is a lake so tiny that a mustard seed would cover it easily. Yet everyone drinks from this lake. Deers, jackals, rhinoceroses, and see elephants keep falling into it falling and dissolving almost before they have time to be born.
All right, one day, back to the case one day talks on came to the dining room carrying his bowls out this time. He was 80 years old. They say. So. Yeah, just about the age of Joe Biden. And a sample that was not just a flip statement. There's something in this koan. You. In Seppo, the cook called out to him, Old Master, where are you going with your bowls when the bell has not wrong in the drum has not sounded. So that's the first point of the of the koan, and koans is all about seeing through the words, what's really going on. Behind the words was talks on forget forgetful at age 80. How could he not be? They say that our our memory, we started losing our memory after the age of 25.
Note the wording, Old Master, where are you going? He could have said that in a different way. Old Master. Excuse me. But just so you know, the bow hasn't rung and the drum hasn't sounded the up for the meal. So that's a clue. Getting there getting a sense of the spirit of behind these words, where are you going with your bowls? And then took some turned at once. No discussion? No defensiveness, he just turned at once, and went back to his own room. There. That's the opening scene. And then later Seppo tells Gonzo about this. There's another point. Why would he be telling Gantos it's such as quick, short, brief thing. What was behind his telling Gonzo about this? How did he tell him? What it how did he How did he frame it? How did he express it?
And then Danto said he's a great master for sure. But he hasn't yet grasped the last word of Zen.
Now, it's not giving away too much by this con to say that Gonzo here is a master chess player. So the word got out that gun toe had responded by saying he hasn't the master hasn't got the last sort of Zen and talks on heard about it and he sent his tended to have gone toe to come. And when Gunther walked in, he said, Do you not approve of me? At least that's what the koan says. We never, never want to want to take koans literally do not approve of me.
Would anyone think that the great talks on at the age of 80 would be miffed that one of his students had said something like that would be offended? Anyway, Gonzo leaned over and whispered in talks on zere. Now, the structure of the story is such that we might assume that Gonzo is leaning over and whispering, the last word of Zen to toxin so it would appear from the surface. And that's the nub of the koan. What did he whisper?
Talks on said nothing further. But the next day in teisho, he was different from usual doesn't say how he was different.
magotteaux strode up into the front of the hall, clapped his hands and laughed and said, Hi, last, the old man has now grasped the last word of Zen. No one's from now I want to be able to get the better of him. There's a lot. There's a lot in here to dig out when you're working on this koan. A lot to discern about spiritual practice and human nature. These koans are just human nature that we know now that was still going on then. Human beings with all of our blind spots and deadly sins, pride, ignorance
and how Mike Seppo assuming the sample was there, when Kanto clapped his hands, how might what might have gone through sepals mind when Gonzo said that?
And then the commentary and verse are quite short. No one's commentary as for what is called the last word of Zen. Neither Gonzo nor toxin ever heard of such a thing, even in a dream. When you look into the matter carefully, they are like puppets on a shelf
it's all unreal in a way.
And then the moon's verse, if you understand the first word of Zen, you understand the last the last word or the first yet is not a word
that itself is a clue to what is going on in the case.
Before we close, I ran across something that was given from From the from JRR Tolkien Return of the King it seems apt for this point of sesshin. And this was uttered by the character Sam wise Gungi on Mount Doom. To his surprise, he felt tired, but lighter, and his head seemed clear again. No more debates disturbed his mind. He knew all the arguments of despair, and would not listen to them. His Will was set, and the only deaf would break it. He felt no longer either desire or need of sleep, but rather have watchfulness. He knew that all the hazards are now drawing together to a point.
hazards such as the arguments of despair heft we have to have the presence of mind when we hear these arguments of despair, doubts, self doubt, really, it all comes down to doubts, that they're just thoughts. Thoughts. don't glorify them don't certainly don't imagine there's any truth behind them. Their thoughts? Just stuff in the mind. Nothing to listen to must have the presence of mind to see of the most such All right. These are just thoughts. How could i How could I listen to such things? Just the practice don't trust thoughts we'll stop now and recite the Four Vows
