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> 81 quotes tagged "zen-koan"

A monk asked Joshu, 'Does a dog have Buddha nature?' Joshu answered, 'Mu!'

Mumonkan, Case 1

buddha-nature emptiness inquiry beyond-words
The master of Kennin temple was Mokurai, Silent Thunder. He had a little protege named Toyo who was only twelve years old. Mokurai said, 'You can hear the sound of two hands when they clap together. Now show me the sound of one hand.'

Traditional Zen

mind silence perception teaching
A monk asked, 'Does an enlightened person fall under the law of cause and effect?' The master answered, 'No.' For this answer, he was reborn as a fox for five hundred lifetimes.

Mumonkan, Case 2

awakening inquiry teaching life
Whenever Gutei was asked about Zen, he simply raised one finger. A young attendant began to imitate him. Gutei cut off the boy's finger. As the boy ran away in pain, Gutei called to him. When he turned, Gutei raised his finger. The boy was enlightened.

Mumonkan, Case 3

awakening direct-experience sudden-insight zen-koan
Wakuan asked, 'Why has the Western Barbarian no beard?'

Mumonkan, Case 4

inquiry zen-koan
Kyogen said, 'It is like a man up in a tree hanging from a branch with his mouth. His hands grasp no branch, his feet rest on no limb. Someone appears beneath the tree and asks, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma coming from the West?" If he does not answer, he fails. If he does answer, he falls and loses his life. What should he do?'

Mumonkan, Case 5

inquiry paradox present-moment no-self
Buddha held up a flower before the assembly. Everyone was silent. Only Mahakashyapa smiled. Buddha said, 'I have the eye of true teaching, the heart of Nirvana, the true aspect of non-form. I now entrust it to Mahakashyapa.'

Mumonkan, Case 6

buddha-nature silence beyond-words present-moment
A monk said to Joshu, 'I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.' Joshu asked, 'Have you eaten your rice porridge?' The monk replied, 'I have.' Joshu said, 'Then go wash your bowl.'

Mumonkan, Case 7

emptiness awakening everyday-life zen-koan
Gettan said, 'Keichu made a cart with a hundred spokes. Take both front and rear parts away and remove the axle. What is left?'

Mumonkan, Case 8

zen-koan
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

buddha-nature inquiry seeing no-self
A monk named Seizei asked Sozan, 'I am alone and poor. Please help me.' Sozan said, 'Seizei!' Seizei answered, 'Yes, master!' Sozan said, 'You have already drunk three cups of fine wine and still you say you have not yet moistened your lips.'

Mumonkan, Case 10

inquiry teaching seeing zen-koan
Joshu went to a hermit's cottage and asked, 'Is the master in? Is the master in?' The hermit raised his fist. Joshu said, 'The water is too shallow to anchor here,' and left. He went to another hermit and asked the same question. This hermit also raised his fist. Joshu said, 'Free to give, free to take, free to kill, free to save,' and made a deep bow.

Mumonkan, Case 11

inquiry teaching death life
Every day Zuigan would call to himself, 'Master!' and answer, 'Yes!' Then he would say, 'Be wide awake!' and answer, 'Yes! Yes!' 'Do not be deceived by others!' 'No! No!'

Mumonkan, Case 12

mind inquiry teaching present-moment
Tokusan went to the dining room holding his bowl. Seppo said, 'The bell has not yet rung, where are you going with your bowl?' Tokusan returned to his room. Seppo told Ganto about this. Ganto said, 'Great as he is, Tokusan has not yet grasped the last word of Zen.' When Tokusan heard this, he sent for Ganto and asked, 'Do you not approve of me?' Ganto whispered his criticism. Tokusan said nothing. The next day Tokusan gave an entirely different kind of lecture. Ganto laughed and said, 'The old man has finally understood the last word of Zen!'

Mumonkan, Case 13

emptiness teaching beyond-words void
Monks of the eastern and western halls were disputing about a cat. Nansen held up the cat and said, 'If you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. If not, I will cut it in two.' No one could answer. Nansen cut the cat. That evening Joshu returned. Nansen told him what had happened. Joshu took off his sandals, put them on his head, and walked out. Nansen said, 'If you had been there, the cat would have been saved.'

Mumonkan, Case 14

mind inquiry seeing beyond-words
When Tozan came to study with Ummon, Ummon asked, 'Where have you come from?' Tozan said, 'From Sato.' Ummon asked, 'Where were you during the summer?' Tozan replied, 'In the Hoji temple in Konan.' Ummon asked, 'When did you leave there?' Tozan answered, 'August twenty-fifth.' Ummon said, 'I spare you three blows.'

Mumonkan, Case 15

inquiry present-moment life zen-koan
Ummon said, 'The world is vast and wide. Why do you put on your robe at the sound of the bell?'

Mumonkan, Case 16

perception spontaneity zen-koan
The emperor called to his teacher, 'National Teacher!' three times. Three times the teacher responded, 'Yes?' The emperor said, 'I thought I was being disrespectful to you, but you are being disrespectful to me!' The teacher made no reply.

Mumonkan, Case 17

teaching seeing beyond-thought direct-experience
A monk asked Tozan, 'What is Buddha?' Tozan said, 'Three pounds of flax.'

Mumonkan, Case 18

buddha-nature everyday-life present-moment zen-koan
Joshu asked Nansen, 'What is the Way?' Nansen answered, 'Everyday mind is the Way.' Joshu asked, 'Should I try to direct myself toward it?' Nansen said, 'If you try, you miss it.' Joshu asked, 'If I don't try, how can I know it is the Way?' Nansen replied, 'The Way does not belong to knowing or not knowing. Knowing is illusion, not knowing is blankness. If you truly reach the genuine Way, you will find it as vast and boundless as outer space. How can this be discussed at the level of affirmation and negation?'

Mumonkan, Case 19

emptiness mind inquiry everyday-life
Shogen asked, 'Why is it that a man of great strength does not lift his legs?' And again, 'It is not the tongue he speaks with.'

Mumonkan, Case 20

beyond-words no-self zen-koan
A monk asked Unmon, 'What is Buddha?' Unmon answered, 'A dry shit-stick.'

Mumonkan, Case 21

buddha-nature inquiry sudden-insight zen-koan
Ananda asked Kashyapa, 'The World-Honored One transmitted to you the robe of gold brocade. What else did he transmit?' Kashyapa said, 'Ananda!' Ananda answered, 'Yes!' Kashyapa said, 'Knock down the flagpole at the gate.'

Mumonkan, Case 22

inquiry direct-experience life zen-koan
The Sixth Patriarch was pursued by monk Myo. The Patriarch asked, 'Not thinking of good, not thinking of evil, at this very moment, what is your original face?'

Mumonkan, Case 23

beyond-thought present-moment no-self zen-koan
A monk asked Fuketsu, 'Both speech and silence are about essence and manifestation. How can we transcend both?' Fuketsu said, 'I always remember the spring in Konan, where the partridges sing. How fragrant the countless flowers!'

Mumonkan, Case 24

silence inquiry beyond-words no-self
Oryu said, 'There are three barriers to test students. First, you study Zen to see your nature. Where is your nature right now? Second, if you know your nature, you are free from birth and death. When your eyes close at death, how will you be free? Third, when you are free from birth and death, you know where to go. When your body separates into the four elements, where will you go?'

Mumonkan, Case 25

inquiry seeing beyond-thought present-moment
Hogen went to attend the talk at the lecture hall. He pointed to the bamboo screen. Two monks went and rolled it up in the same manner. Hogen said, 'One has it, one has not.'

Mumonkan, Case 26

zen-koan
A monk asked Nansen, 'Is there any teaching that has not been taught to people?' Nansen said, 'There is.' The monk asked, 'What is the teaching that has not been taught?' Nansen said, 'It is not mind, it is not Buddha, it is not things.'

Mumonkan, Case 27

buddha-nature emptiness mind zen-koan
Ryutan and Tokusan were talking late into the night. Finally Ryutan said, 'It's getting late. Why don't you retire?' Tokusan made his bows and lifted the screen to leave, but saw it was pitch dark outside. He turned and said, 'It's dark out there.' Ryutan lit a candle and handed it to Tokusan. As Tokusan reached for it, Ryutan blew it out. At that moment Tokusan was enlightened.

Mumonkan, Case 28

awakening seeing present-moment zen-koan
Two monks were arguing about a flag. One said, 'The flag is moving.' The other said, 'The wind is moving.' The Sixth Patriarch said, 'Not the wind, not the flag; mind is moving.'

Mumonkan, Case 29

mind seeing no-self zen-koan
Daibai asked Baso, 'What is Buddha?' Baso said, 'This mind is Buddha.'

Mumonkan, Case 30

buddha-nature mind seeing present-moment
Joshu went to a hermit and asked, 'What is it? What is it?' The hermit thrust up his fist. Joshu said, 'Ships cannot anchor where the water is too shallow,' and left. He came to another hermit and asked, 'What is it? What is it?' This hermit also thrust up his fist. Joshu said, 'Well given, well taken, well killed, well saved,' and bowed.

Mumonkan, Case 31

death life water zen-koan
A non-Buddhist asked the Buddha, 'I do not ask for words, I do not ask for non-words.' The Buddha remained silent. The non-Buddhist said, 'The World-Honored One's great mercy has cleared away my delusions and enabled me to enter the path,' and he left. Ananda asked the Buddha, 'What did he realize?' The Buddha said, 'A good horse runs even at the shadow of the whip.'

Mumonkan, Case 32

buddha-nature silence inquiry beyond-words
A monk asked, 'What is Buddha?' Baso answered, 'No mind, no Buddha.'

Mumonkan, Case 33

buddha-nature mind inquiry present-moment
Nansen said, 'Mind is not Buddha. Learning is not the Way.'

Mumonkan, Case 34

buddha-nature emptiness mind zen-koan
Goso said, 'Seijo and her soul were separated. Which was the real Seijo?'

Mumonkan, Case 35

inquiry no-self sudden-insight zen-koan
Goso asked, 'When you meet a Zen master on the road, you cannot speak to him, you cannot face him in silence. What will you do?'

Mumonkan, Case 36

silence paradox teaching beyond-words
A monk asked Joshu, 'What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?' Joshu said, 'The oak tree in the garden.'

Mumonkan, Case 37

inquiry seeing nature zen-koan
Goso said, 'A buffalo passes by the window. His head, horns, and four legs all go past. Why can't the tail pass too?'

Mumonkan, Case 38

zen-koan
A monk asked Ummon, 'What is the teaching of a whole lifetime?' Ummon said, 'An appropriate statement.'

Mumonkan, Case 39

present-moment life zen-koan
When Isan's teacher wanted to choose a successor, he asked who could answer correctly. He put a water vase on the ground and asked, 'Without calling it a water vase, what is it?' The head monk said, 'You cannot call it a wooden sandal.' Isan kicked the vase over and walked away. He became the teacher's successor.

Mumonkan, Case 40

emptiness inquiry teaching beyond-words
Eka said to Bodhidharma, 'My mind is not at peace. Please pacify my mind.' Bodhidharma said, 'Bring me your mind and I will pacify it.' Eka said, 'I have searched for my mind, but I cannot find it.' Bodhidharma said, 'There, I have pacified your mind.'

Traditional Zen

mind seeing no-self direct-experience
Bankei said, 'If you try to stop your thoughts they will only multiply. Better to let them arise and pass away in the Unborn Mind.'

Traditional Zen

emptiness mind beyond-thought zen-koan
Hakuin would say to his students, 'In clapping both hands a sound is heard. What is the sound of one hand?'

Traditional Zen

silence perception present-moment no-self
Firewood becomes ash, and it does not become firewood again. Yet do not suppose that the ash is future and the firewood past.

Shobogenzo

present-moment no-self life zen-koan
Yantou asked his brother monks, 'Every sutra teaches that all things return to the One. Where does the One return to?' Dongshan said, 'When I was in Qingzhou, I made a robe that weighed seven pounds.'

Blue Cliff Record, Case 1

inquiry no-self zen-koan
A monk said to Joshu, 'I have just entered this monastery. Please teach me.' Joshu said, 'Have you had your breakfast?' 'Yes, I have,' replied the monk. Joshu said, 'Then go wash your bowl.' Later another monk came and Joshu said, 'Go drink tea.'

Traditional Zen

awakening everyday-life seeing sudden-insight
A monk asked, 'The stone bridge of Zhaozhou is widely renowned, but I find only a shabby log bridge.' Zhaozhou said, 'You see only the shabby log bridge and don't see the stone bridge.' The monk asked, 'What is the stone bridge?' Zhaozhou said, 'It lets donkeys cross, it lets horses cross.'

Blue Cliff Record, Case 52

buddha-nature everyday-life seeing present-moment
A monk asked, 'Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?' Zhaozhou said, 'The cypress tree in the courtyard.'

Blue Cliff Record

seeing present-moment no-self direct-experience
A monk asked Tiantong, 'What is the essence of Buddha's teaching?' Tiantong said, 'No essence.' The monk asked, 'Then why do we sit in meditation?' Tiantong said, 'Because there's no essence.'

Traditional Zen

buddha-nature emptiness void zen-koan
Huangbo said, 'You are all gobblers of dregs! Traveling around this way, where do you have today?'

Traditional Zen

seeing present-moment zen-koan
Linji said, 'There is a true person of no rank constantly going in and out through the gates of your face. Those who have not yet proved it, look! Look!'

Linji Yulu

seeing beyond-words present-moment no-self
A monk asked Mazu, 'What kind of person is one who does not keep company with the ten thousand things?' Mazu said, 'When you swallow all the water of the West River in one gulp, I'll tell you.'

Traditional Zen

mind inquiry water zen-koan
Dongshan said, 'The teaching is like the moon in water. The moon does not get wet; the water is not broken.'

Traditional Zen

life water zen-koan
Yunmen said, 'Everyone has their own light. When you try to see it, everything is darkness. What is your light?'

Traditional Zen

seeing beyond-words present-moment zen-koan
Deshan carried his bowls to the dining room. Xuefeng said, 'The bell hasn't rung and the drum hasn't sounded. Where are you going with your bowls?' Deshan returned to his room.

Blue Cliff Record, Case 4

awakening perception inquiry teaching
It's like a person hanging in a tree by his teeth over a precipice. His hands grasp no branch, his feet rest on no limb. Someone under the tree asks him, 'Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?' If he doesn't answer, he fails. If he does answer, he falls to his death. What should he do?

Blue Cliff Record, Case 5

inquiry paradox present-moment death
Yunmen said, 'I don't ask you about fifteen days ago. But what about fifteen days hence? Come, say a word about this!' Since none of the monks answered, he said, 'Every day is a good day.'

Blue Cliff Record, Case 6

emptiness inquiry beyond-words present-moment
A monk asked Baling, 'What is the Blown Hair Sword?' Baling said, 'Each branch of coral holds up the moon.'

Blue Cliff Record, Case 13

everyday-life beyond-words present-moment no-self
A monk asked Longya, 'The physical body decays. What is the indestructible body of reality?' Longya said, 'The mountain flowers bloom like brocade, the valley streams are brimming blue.'

Traditional Zen

seeing no-self death nature
A monk asked, 'What is the meaning of meditation and study?' Zhaozhou said, 'In the morning we eat rice gruel, at midday we eat rice.'

Traditional Zen

seeing present-moment direct-experience zen-koan
A monk asked, 'What is Buddha?' Dongshan said, 'Three pounds of hemp.'

Book of Serenity, Case 18

buddha-nature everyday-life present-moment zen-koan
A monk asked Dizang, 'Where can I find the place to enter?' Dizang said, 'Can you hear the sound of the valley stream?' The monk said, 'Yes, I can hear it.' Dizang said, 'Enter there.'

Traditional Zen

perception present-moment no-self direct-experience
Xuedou said, 'If you want to attain intimate understanding, just don't develop any concepts. The past is already past. The future has not yet arrived. Here and now—speak!'

Traditional Zen

beyond-words beyond-thought present-moment direct-experience
A monk asked, 'When the tortoise has no hair and the rabbit has no horns, how do you understand this?' Hsueh Feng said, 'To have a head is to have horns, to have a shell is to have hair.'

Traditional Zen

inquiry paradox seeing zen-koan
Fayan said, 'When there's a hair's breadth of difference, it is like the distance between heaven and earth.'

Traditional Zen

emptiness seeing beyond-thought no-self
A monk asked Yaoshan, 'What is the way?' Yaoshan pointed upward and downward and said, 'Do you understand?' The monk said, 'No.' Yaoshan said, 'Clouds in the sky, water in the jug.'

Traditional Zen

inquiry water zen-koan
Master Rujing said, 'Zazen is the Dharma gate of great ease and joy. It is the practice-realization of dropping off body and mind.'

Traditional Soto Zen

mind teaching present-moment spontaneity
Empty-handed, I hold a hoe. Walking, I ride a water buffalo. A man passes over a bridge: the bridge flows, the water does not.

Zen Poem – Fu Ta-shih (497-569)

paradox zen-koan perspective mystery
The blue mountains are constantly walking. The stone woman gives birth to a child in the night.

Zen Poem – Dōgen (1200-1253)

paradox nature zen-koan mystery
Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

Zen proverb

flow naturalness zen-koan practice
Every day is a good day.

Blue Cliff Record, Case 6 — Yunmen's Every Day Is a Good Day

zen-koan present-moment acceptance blue-cliff-record
If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.

Blue Cliff Record — Linji

zen-koan blue-cliff-record non-attachment freedom
Three pounds of flax.

Blue Cliff Record, Case 12 — Tung-shan's Three Pounds of Flax

zen-koan blue-cliff-record paradox mind
Not the wind, not the flag. It is your mind that moves.

Blue Cliff Record, Case 29 — The Sixth Patriarch and the Wind and Flag

zen-koan blue-cliff-record mind perception
Before thinking good and evil, what is your original face?

Blue Cliff Record — Huineng

zen-koan blue-cliff-record no-self inquiry
Not knowing is most intimate.

Book of Serenity, Case 20 — Dizang's Intimacy

zen-koan book-of-serenity inquiry non-knowing
A monk asked Zhaozhou, 'Does a dog have Buddha nature?' Zhaozhou said, 'Mu.'

Book of Serenity, Case 18 — Zhaozhou's Dog

zen-koan book-of-serenity inquiry emptiness
The whole world is medicine. What am I?

Blue Cliff Record, Case 87 — Yunmen's Medicine and Sickness

zen-koan blue-cliff-record inquiry unity
Before the donkey has left, the horse has already arrived.

Blue Cliff Record, Case 97

zen-koan blue-cliff-record time present-moment
When you are hungry, eat. When you are tired, sleep.

Book of Serenity — Baizhang

zen-koan book-of-serenity simplicity practice