Zen Stories

89. Zen Dialogue
Zen teachers train their young pupils to express themselves. Two Zen temples; each had a child protégé. One child going to obtain vegetables each morning would meet the other on the way.

'Where are you going?' asked the one.
'I am going wherever my feet go.' the other responded.
This reply puzzled the first child who went to his teacher for help.

‘Tomorrow morning,' the teacher told him, 'when you meet that little fellow, ask him the same question. He will give you the same answer, and then you ask him: "Suppose have no feet, then where are you going!" That will fix him.'

The children met again the following morning. 'Where are you going?' asked the first child. ‘I am going wherever the wind blows,' answered the other.

This again nonplussed the youngster, who took his defeat to his teacher.
'Ask him where he is going if there is no wind,' suggested the teacher.

The next day the children met a third time.
'Where are you going?' asked the first child.
‘I am going to market to buy vegetables,' the other replied.

90. The Last Rap
Tangen had studied with Sengai since childhood. When he was twenty he wanted to have his teacher and visit others for comparative study, but Sengai would not permit this.

Every time Tangen suggested it, Sengai would give him a rap on the head. Finally Tangen asked an elder brother to coax permission from Sengai. This the brother did and then reported to Tangen: 'It is arranged. I have fixed it for you to start on your pilgrimage at once.'

Tangen went to Sengai to thank him for his permission. The master answered by giving him another rap. When Tangen related this to his elder brother the other said: 'What is the matter? Sengai has no business giving permission and then changing his mind. I will tell him so.'

And off he went to see the teacher. 'I did not cancel my permission,' said Sengai. 'I just wished to give him one last smack over the head, for when he returns he will be enlightened and I will not be able to reprimand him again.'