27 December 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium
BELOVED BUDDHA,
ON ONE OCCASION WHEN A MONK ASKED KYOZAN THE MEANING OF BODHIDHARMA
COMING FROM THE WEST, KYOZAN DREW A CIRCLE IN THE AIR AND PUT THE CHARACTER
FOR BUDDHA INSIDE IT. THIS LEFT THE MONK WITHOUT WORDS.
AT ANOTHER TIME, KYOZAN WAS LIVING IN SEKITEI TEMPLE IN KOSHU. A MONK CAME UP
TO HIM AND SAID, ”MASTER, DO YOU KNOW CHINESE CHARACTERS?”
”AS FAR AS BEFITS MY POSITION,” RESPONDED KYOZAN.
THE MONK THEN CIRCLED KYOZAN ONCE IN THE ANTI-CLOCKWISE DIRECTION AND
ASKED HIM, ”WHAT CHARACTER IS THIS?”
KYOZAN DREW THE CHARACTER FOR THE NUMBER TEN. THEN THE MONK WALKED
AROUND HIM IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION AND ASKED WHAT CHARACTER THAT WAS.
KYOZAN CHANGED THE FIGURE TEN (WHICH LOOKS LIKE A PLUS SIGN) INTO A SWASTIKA.
THE MONK THEN DREW A CIRCLE AND PRETENDED TO HOLD IT IN BOTH HIS HANDS
AND ASKED KYOZAN, ”WHAT CHARACTER IS THIS?” AT WHICH KYOZAN DREW A CIRCLE
AROUND THE SWASTIKA.
THE MONK THEN PRETENDED TO BE RUCIKA, THE LAST OF THE ONE THOUSAND
BUDDHAS OF THE PRESENT KALPA, AT WHICH KYOZAN COMMENTED, ”THAT IS RIGHT!
THAT IS WHAT ALL THE BUDDHAS HAVE KEPT – YOU ALSO, I ALSO. TAKE CARE OF IT!”
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