Zen Stories

42. The Dead Man's Answer
When Mamiya, who later became a well-known preacher, went to a teacher for personal guidance, he was asked to explain the sound of one hand.

Mamiya concentrated upon what the sound of one hand might be. 'You are not working hard enough,' his teacher told him. 'You are too attached to food, wealth, things, and that sound. It would he better if you died. That would solve the problem.'

The next time Mamiya appeared before his teacher he was again asked what he had to show regarding the sound of one hand. Mamiya at once fell over as if he were dead.

'You are dead all right' observed the teacher. 'But how about that sound?'
'I haven't solved that yet,' replied Mamiya, looking up. 'Dead men do not speak,' said the teacher.’ Get out!'

43. Zen in a Beggar’s Life
Tosui was a well-known Zen teacher of his time. He had lived in several temples and taught in various provinces. The last temple he visited accumulated so many adherents that Tosui told them he was going to quit the lecture business entirely.

He advised them to disperse and to go wherever they desired. After that no one could find any trace of him. Three years later one of his disciple discovered him living with some beggars under a bridge in Kyoto. He at once implored Tosui to teach him.

'If you can do as I do for even a couple of days, I might,' Tosui replied.
So the former disciple dressed as a beggar and spent a day with Tosui. The following day one of the beggars died.

Tosui and his pupil carried the body off at midnight and buried it on a mountainside. After that they returned to their shelter under the bridge.

Tosui slept soundly the remainder of the night, but the disciple could not sleep. When morning came Tosui said: 'We do not have to beg food today. Our dead friend has left some over there.' But the disciple was unable to eat a single bite of it. ‘I have said you could not do as I.' concluded Tosui. 'Get out of here and do not bother me again.'

44. 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 an 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 receive a gift,' Shichiri added. The man thanked him and made off.

A few days afterwards the fellow was caught and confessed, among others, the offence 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 men went to Shichiri and became his disciple.
 

45. Right and Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of the gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled.
Bankei ignored the case.

Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.

When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. 'You are wise brothers,' he told them. 'You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.'

A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All the desire to steal had vanished.