Dropping Ashes on the Buddha by Mitchell Stephen

Author:Mitchell, Stephen [Mitchell, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9780802195470
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: 2007-12-01T02:00:00+00:00

52. Lin-Chi's KATZ

Whenever Zen Master Dok Sahn was asked a question, he would answer only by hitting the questioner. Zen Master Ku-ji would answer only by raising one finger, and Zen Master Lin-chi only by shouting “KATZ!!!” And so the stick of Dok Sahn, the finger of Ku-ji, and the KATZ of Lin-chi became famous.

Lin-chi always shouted “KATZ!!!” Sometimes the KATZ cut off people's thinking, sometimes it was a testing of Zen progress, and sometimes it opened up minds.

One day a person came and asked Lin-chi, “What is Buddhism?”

Lin-chi shouted “KATZ!!!” The person bowed and left.

Another day a person came and bowed. As soon as he raised his head, he shouted “KATZ!!!” Lin-chi made no reply, but as the person turned his head to leave, Lin-chi shouted “KATZ!!!”

Another person came and, as he was bowing, Lin-chi shouted “KATZ!!!” The person raised his head, looked at Lin-chi, and then shouted “KATZ!!!” Quickly Lin-chi shouted “KATZ!!!” and walked away.

Another person asked Lin-chi, “Nowadays, what are you doing?”

Lin-chi shouted “KATZ!!!”

These are Lin-chi's four ways of using KATZ. He used it freely and opened many students' minds.

One day a person asked Lin-chi, “What is Zen?” Lin-chi held up his horse-hair whip. The person shouted “KATZ!!!” Lin-chi hit him.

Again the person asked, “What is Zen?”

Lin-chi again held up the whip.

The person shouted “KATZ!!!”

Lin-chi immediately shouted “KATZ!!!”

The person was confused and didn't know how to answer. Lin-chi hit him.

One day many people gathered in the Zen room. Lin-chi was sitting on a high platform and said, “Inside a wall of pink flesh lives the Utmost Master. All day long this Master goes in and out through the six doors. Do you understand?”

One monk stood up and asked, “What is this Utmost Master?”

Lin-chi got up, ran down the steps, grabbed the monk, and shouted, “Tell me! Tell me!”

The monk hesitated. Lin-chi flung him away and said, “This Utmost Master is a lump of shit.”

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