Zen Stories

38. Gisho's Work

Gisho was ordained as a nun when she was ten years old. She received training just as the little boys did. When she reached the age of sixteen she traveled from one Zen master to another, studying with them all.

She remained three years with Unzan, six years with Gukei, but was unable to obtain a clear vision. At last she went to me master Inzan.

Inzan showed her no distinction at all on account of her sex. He scolded her like a thunderstorm. He cuffed her to awaken her inner nature.

Gisho remained with Inzan thirteen years
and then she found that which she was seeking!

In her honor, Inzan wrote a poem:
This nun studied thirteen years under my guidance.
In the evening she considered the deepest koans,
In the morning she was wrapped in other koans.
The Chinese nun Tetsuma surpassed all before her,
And since Mujaku none has been so genuine as this Gisho!
Yet there are many more gates for her to pass through.
She should receive still more blows from my iron fist.
After Gisho was enlightened she went to the province of Banshu, started her own Zen temple and taught two hundred other nuns until she passed away one year in the month of August.

39. Sleeping in the Daytime
The master Soya Shaku passed from this world when he was sixty-one years of age. Fulfilling his life's work, he left a great teaching, far richer than that of most Zen masters.

His pupils used to sleep in the daytime during midsummer, and while he overlooked this he himself never wasted a minute.

When he was but twelve year old he was already studying Tendai philosophical speculation. One summer day the air had been so sultry that Little Soyen stretched his legs and went to sleep while his teacher was away. Three hours passed when, suddenly waking he heard his master enter, but it was too late. There he lay, sprawled across the doorway.

‘I beg your pardon, I beg your pardon,' his teacher whispered, stepping carefully over Soyen's body as if it were that of some distinguished guest. After this, Soyen never slept again in the afternoon.

40. In Dreamland
'Our schoolmaster used to take a nap every afternoon,' related a disciple of Soyen Shaku. 'We children asked him why he did it and he told us: ‘I go to dreamland to meet the old sages just as Confucius did.’ When Confucius slept, he would dream of ancient sages and later tell his followers about them.

It was extremely hot one day so some of us took a nap. Our schoolmaster scolded us. "We went to dreamland 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 than if our schoolmaster came there every afternoon, but they said they had never seen any such fellow."

41. Joshu's Zen
Joshu began the study of Zen when he was sixty years old and continued until he was eighty, when he realized Zen.

He taught from the age of eighty until he was one hundred and twenty. A student once asked him: ‘If I haven't anything in my mind, what shall I do?'
Joshu replied: ‘Throw it out.'

'But if I haven't anything how on I throw it out?' continued the questioner.
'Well,' said Joshu, 'then carry it out.’