The Living Buddha

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Saturday, December 20, 2008, 11:00

It is customary of a Zen master to provide personal guidance to a disciple. So is also that they do it in seclusion without the least intrusion. Mokurai, the Zen master of Kennin temple in Kyoto enjoyed talking not only to his pupils but also to people from all walks of life like merchants, newspaper men and so on. Amongst them was an almost illiterate tub-maker who put forward foolish questions to the master.

One day Mokurai wanted to have a private talk with a certain disciple when the tub-maker was present. The master asked the tub-maker to stay in another room while he spoke to the disciple. The tub-maker denied to exit and remarked " I understand that you are a living Buddha, but even the stone Buddhas in the temple never refuse numerous people who come together to them. Why should I have to exit now?"

Mokurai had to go out to talk to his disciple.