A Zen Master Short-Answer Zen

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Zen Master Un-mun always give short answers to his students’ questions.

That was the way he taught Zen.

Often, he’d use only one word to point to the student’s mind.

So, one day a student asked him, when does a chicken’s egg hatch?”

and Un-mun answered, “Echo.”

Then another student said, “If I kill my parents, I can repent to Buddha. If I kill Buddha and the eminent teachers, to whom can I repent?”

Un-mun answered, “Appearance.”

Another student asked, “Of the three bodied—form body, consciousness body, and Dharma body—which one speaks the truth?”

Un-mun said, “Primary.”

As a result, Un-mun, with his short answer, opened many minds.

The heart Sutra says, “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.”

But the true meaning of “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” said the Zen teacher, is “form is form, emptiness is emptiness.”

And if you are thinking, you won’t understand these words.

But if you’re not thinking, “just like this” is Buddha nature.

Speech and words are not necessary.

Without thinking, all things are exactly as they are.

The truth is just like this.

“A clear mind” explains the Zen teacher, “has no inside and no outside. It is just like this.”

‘Just like this’ is the truth.”

The rocks in the stream and the titles on the roof understand true emptiness. But you still don’t understand it?

Put it all down!

Thanks for reading.

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