A monk asked Seijo, 'I understand that a Buddha who lived before recorded history sat in meditation for ten cycles of existence and could not realize the highest truth. Why was this so?' Seijo said, 'Your question is quite self-explanatory.' The monk asked, 'Since the Buddha was meditating, why could he not realize the truth?' Seijo said, 'He was not a Buddha.'

— Mumonkan, Case 9

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