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Zen Parables

Page history last edited by Anna Johnson 15 years, 9 months ago

Zen Parables

Taken from World Literature pages 591-594

Translated by Paul Reps

 

Muddy Road

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy raod. A heavy rain was still falling.

     Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

     "Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

     Ekido did not speak again until the night when they reached the lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?'

     I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?" (p 591)

 

A Parable

Buddha told a parable in a sutra:

     A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. COming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.

     Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a lucious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted! (p 591-592)

 

Publishing the Sutras

Tetsugen, a devotee of Zen in Japan, decided to publish the sutras, which at the time were available only in Chinese. The books were to be printed with wood blocks in an edition of seven thousand copies, a tremendous undertaking.

     Tetsugen began by traveling and collecting donations for this purpose. A few sympathizers would give him a hundred pieces of gold, but most of the time he recieved only small coins. He thanked each donor with equal gratitude. After ten years Tetsugen had enough money to begin his task.

     It happened that at that time the Uji River overflowed. Famine followed. Tetsugen took the funds he had collected for the books and spent them to save others from starvation. Then he began again his work of collecting.

     Several years afterwards an epidemic spread over the country. Tetsugen again gave away what he had collected to help his people.

     For a third time he started his work, and after twenty years his wish was fulfilled. The printing blocks which produced the first edition of sutras can be seen today in the Obaku monastery in Kyoto.

     The Japanese tell their children that Tetsugen made three sets of sutras, and that the first two invisible sets surpass even the last.  (p 592-593)

 

The Thief Who Became a Disciple

One evening as Shichiri Kojun was reciting sutras a thief with a sharp sword entered, demanding either his money or his life.

     Shichiri told him: "Do not disturb me. You can find the money in that drawer." Then he resumed his recitation.

     A little while afterwards he stopped and called: "Don't take it all. I need some to pay taxes with tomorrow."

     The intruder gathered up most of the money and started to leave, "Thank a person when you recieve a gift," Shichiri added. The man thanked him and made off.

     A few days afterwards the fellow was caught and confessed, among others, the offense against Shichiri. When Shichiri was called as a witness he said: "This man is no thief, at least as far as I am concerned. I gave him the money and he thanked me for it."

     After he had finished his prison term, the man went to Shichiri and became his disciple.  (p 593)

 

The Taste of Banzo's Sword

Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His fater, believing that his son's work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him.

     So Matajuro went to Mount Futara and there found the famous swordsman Banzo. But Banzo confirmed the father's judgment. "You wish to learn swordsmanship under my guidance?" asked Banzo. "You cannot fulfill the requirements."

     "But if I work hard, how many years will it take me to become a master?" persisted the youth.

     "The rest of your life," replied Banzo.

     "I cannot wait that long," explained Matajuro. "I am willing to pass through any hardship if only you will teach me. If I become your devoted servant, how long might it be?"

     "Oh, maybe ten years," Banzo relented.

     "My father is getting old, and soon I must take care of him," continued Matajuro. "If I work far more intensively, how long would it take me?"

     "Oh, maybe thirty years," said Banzo.

     "Why is that?" asked Matajuro. "First you say ten and now thirty years. I will undergo any hardship to master this art in the shortest time!"

     "Well," said Banzo, "in that case you will have to remain with me for seventy years. A man in such a hurry as you are to get results seldom learns quickly."

     "Very well," declared the youth, understanding at last that he was being rebuked for impatience, "I agree."

     Matajuro was told never to speak of fencing and never to touch a sword. He cooked for his master, washed the dishes, made his bed, cleaned the yard, cared for the garden, all without a word of swordsmanship.

     Three years passed. Still Matajuro labored on. Thinking of his future, he was sad. He had not even begun to learn the art to which he had devoted his life.

     But one day Banzo crept up behind him and gave him a terrible blow with a wooden sword.

     The following day, when Matajuro was cooking rice, Banzo again sprang upon him unexpectedly.

     After that, day and night, Matajuro had to defend himself from unexpected thrusts. Not a moment passed in any day that he did not have to think of the tast of Banzo's sword.

     He learned so rapidly he brough smiles to the face of his master. Matajuro became one of the greatest swordsman in the land. (p 593-594)

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