A young physician in Tokyo named Kusuda met a college friend who had been studying Zen. The young doctor asked him what Zen was.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot tell you what it is,\u201d the friend replied, \u201cbut one thing is certain. If you understand Zen, you will not be afraid to die.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d said Kusuda. \u201cI will try it. Where can I find a teacher?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo to the master Nan-in,\u201d the friend told him.<\/p>\n
So Kusuda went to call on Nan-in. He carried a dagger nine and a half inches long to determine whether or not the teacher was afraid to die.<\/p>\n
When Nan-in saw Kusuda he exclaimed: \u201cHello, friend. How are you? We haven\u2019t seen each other for a long time!\u201d<\/p>\n
This perplexed Kusuda, who replied: \u201cWe have never met before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d answered Nan-in. \u201cI mistook you for another physician who is receiving instruction here.\u201d<\/p>\n
With such a beginning, Kusuda lost his chance to test the master, so reluctantly he asked if he might receive Zen instruction.<\/p>\n
Nan-in said: \u201cZen is not a difficult task. If you are a physician, treat you patients with kindness. That is Zen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kusuda visited Nan-in three times. Each time Nan-in told him the same thing. \u201cA physician should not waste time around here. Go home and take care of you patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was not yet clear to Kusuda how such teaching could remove the fear of death. So on his fourth visit he complained: \u201cMy friend told me when one learns Zen one loses the fear of death. Each time I come here all you tell me is to take care of my patients. I know that much. If that is your so-called Zen, I am not going to visit you any more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nan-in smiled and patted the doctor. \u201cI have been too strict with you. Let me give you a koan.\u201d He presented Kusuda with Joshu\u2019s Mu to work over, which is the first mind enlightening problem in the book called The Gateless Gate.<\/p>\n
Kusuda pondered this problem of Mu (No-Thing) for two years. At length he thought he had reached certainty of mind. But his teacher commented: \u201cYou are not in yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kusuda continued in concentration for another year and a half. His mind became placid. Problems dissolved. No-Thing became the truth. He served his patients well and, without even knowing it, he was free from concern over life and death.<\/p>\n
Then when he visited Nan-in, his old teacher just smiled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stingy in Teaching A young physician in Tokyo named Kusuda …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12749],"tags":[1367,421,1733,1235,2535,654,653,8410,87,7226,276,705,1540,617,2984,2255,5194,1180,6212,1536,1546,7965,147,6214,6213],"class_list":["post-6724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tumblr","tag-awareness","tag-buddha","tag-buddism","tag-consciousness","tag-dharma","tag-happiness","tag-happy","tag-healthy","tag-inspiration","tag-know-thyself","tag-meditation","tag-mind","tag-mindfulness","tag-quotes","tag-self-awareness","tag-self-realization","tag-sincere","tag-soul","tag-spiritual-journey","tag-sunday","tag-sunday-dharma","tag-true-self","tag-zen","tag-zen-quotes","tag-zen-story"],"yoast_head":"\n