by Denis Wallez
March 11th, 2013
illustration (attribution, if any possible, is at the end of the article)
Yaoshan's discourse
Yoashan had not given a discourse in the dharma hall for some time. The monastery director said "The assembly has long been waiting to receive teaching from you. Please give a discourse to the assembly, Master."
Yaoshan asked him to sound the han.
(http://media.sfzc.org/mp3/ambient/2011-03-cc-han.mp3)
The monastics came together. Yaoshan took the high seat, sat there for a while, got down, and went back to the abbot's room.
The monastery director followed him ans asked "Master, you agreed to give a discourse to the assembly. Why didn't you say a word?"
Yaoshan said "Scriptural teachers are for scriptures. Commentary teachers are for commentaries. What do you expect from this old monastic?"
#Dharma #Zen #Buddhism #buddhistcircle
image © Filippo Partesotti: "ten years to shine a sword" (Indian ink, on gold and canvas)