..续本文上一页 others by kind words, by giving some good gift, or in some special way. Trying to help often creates more problems than it solves. But if you sit in zazen you will come to respect yourself and others will then respect you. Then you can help them quite freely and naturally, without imposing any burden or obligation or gratitude. (In Model Subject 39 of the Blue Cliff Records (Hekigan Roku), Ungan asked Dogo: “That great Bodhisattva of Mercy (i.e., Avalokishevara, Kwan Yin or Kwannon, often represented with one thousand arms and one thousand eyes, symbolizing the all pervading-mercy) how does he manage to use those many hands and eyes (in helping sentient beings)

　　” Dogo said: “It is like when, in the dark night, we straighten out our pillow with our hand (though not being able to see with our eyes).”

　　If you think zazen is some particular thing you are doing right here, you are quite mistaken. Practice is each moment every day all year long; over and over we repeat our activity. Our practice is like 10,000 miles of iron road. We run on iron tracks in a straight line, never stopping. The tracks are iron, not gold or silver. There is no special way for sages and another for fools; both are the same train. There is no special person for Buddhism, Buddhism is for everyone; there is no special activity of sitting for Buddhists–everything you do should be practice.

　　You remember the famous Zen master Joshu, the one who always sat in a broken chair. Once a young monk came to visit him, and Joshu asked: “Have you had breakfast

　　” Joshu was not talking about rice-gruel (but rather enlightenment)! But this monk was very brave and confident, and he answered: “Yes, I have!” (i.e., I have attained enlightenment and know everything and am quite ready to converse with you on any subject!) Joshu replied: “Well then, wash you bowl!”

　　That is our way-step by step. After eating, wash your bowl. It is always the same on the same iron road. Sometimes you want to take an airplane, but that is not the right way! You should always stay on the train.

　　There is an old story about three animals crossing a river: a hare, a fox, and an elephant. The hare skipped across the surface (using stones

　　); the fox swam across, but the elephant walked slowly steadily across, touching bottom with each step. The Traditional Way of Buddhism is the last, and in our practice we should all be elephants.

《The Traditional Way》全文阅读结束。