One day, Zen Master shared a Kong-an with students.
| Zen Master | : |
One Zen monk went to Zen Master Sok Du and asked: "How to become a Buddha?" Zen Master replied: "You have no Buddha nature!" The monk said: "Even the lowest class creature has Buddha nature. Why I have no Buddha nature?" Zen Master said: "Because you are not the lowest class creature." The monk: "Am I even worse than the lowest class creature?" Zen Master: "Because you don't want to be responsible". Upon hearing that, the monk was enlightened. What do you learn from this Koan? |
| Student | : | I also have a Kong-an. Student: "Should we follow the teaching of Buddha, only to follow situation and let go?" Zen Master: "If so, you would not take up responsibility and give up doing your job accordingly." Student: "So what is correct?" Zen Master: "You are still clinging." Why? |
| Zen Master | : |
My answer to you: Just do it, don't check. Too many checking is clinging. 'Do It ' also means when a situation appears you act accordingly. Host and guest have to understand their job and 'Do It '. This is what it means to follow situation. Doing it without the idea of letting go, just let go, nor doing it with the idea of following the flow, just flow. |
| Student | : | Thanks for your enlightening reply. Now I understand words like 'should be', 'endeavour', 'take up responsibility' or 'duty bound' are superfluous. When a mother feeds a crying baby, she won't think it's her "duty" to feed the baby. She just does it as her mother nature. Once we think it is my duty to do this or that, we are not living in our lives. A flower blooms not because it has a duty to do so. It just blooms. |
The Student bowed thankfully to Zen Master.
Commentary:
What need to be done already appear, there is nothing left for us to worry.