Good story. Because Bill denies causation he is doomed to be reincarnated as a fox for 500 lives!
Edgar On May 20, 2011, at 10:56 AM, ED wrote: > > > Hyakujo's Fox > > When Hyakujo Osho delivered a certain series of sermons, an old man always > followed the monks to the main hall and listened to him. When the monks left > the hall, the old man would also leave. One day, however, he remained behind, > and Hyakujo asked him, "Who are you, standing here before me?" > > The old man replied, "I am not a human being. In the old days of Kashyapa > Buddha, I was a head monk, living here on this mountain. One day a student > asked me, 'Does a man of enlightenment fall under the yoke of causation or > not?' I answered, 'No, he does not.' > > Since then I have been doomed to undergo five hundred rebirths as a fox. I > beg you now to give the turning word to release me from my life as a fox. > Tell me, does a man of enlightenment fall under the yoke of causation or not?" > > Hyakujo answered, "He does not ignore causation." > > No sooner had the old man heard these words than he was enlightened. Making > his bows, he said, "I am emancipated from my life as a fox. I shall remain on > this mountain. I have a favour to ask of you: would you please bury my body > as that of a dead monk." > > Hyakujo had the director of the monks strike with the gavel and inform > everyone that after the midday meal there would be a funeral service for a > dead monk. The monks wondered at this, saying, "Everyone is in good health; > nobody is in the sick ward. What does this mean?" > > After the meal Hyakujo led the monks to the foot of a rock on the far side of > the mountain and with his staff poked out the dead body of a fox and > performed the ceremony of cremation. > > That evening he ascended the rostrum and told the monks the whole story. > obaku thereupon asked him, "The old man gave the wrong answer and was doomed > to be a fox for five hundred rebirths. Now, suppose he had given the right > answer, what would have happened then?" > > Hyakujo said, "You come here to me, and I will tell you." > > Obaku went up to Hyakujo and boxed his ears. Hyakujo clapped his hands with a > laugh and exclaimed, "I was thinking that the barbarian had a red beard, but > now I see before me the red-bearded barbarian himself." > > http://oaks.nvg.org/gate-struggles.html#2 > > > --- In [email protected], Jue Miao Jing Ming - 覺妙精明 > <chan.jmjm@...> wrote: > > > > Hi Bill, > > > > Sorry to admit that I have not read any English book about Zen. > > > > Please send me something. > > > > Thank you, > > JM > > >
