The mind, the Buddha; no mind, no Buddha – Koan 67

No. 67. The mind, the Buddha; no mind, no Buddha

Kenyu, a teacher of the Ritsu (Vinaya) sect, once visited Jufukuji, and when he met Jakuan, namely Zen Master Koko, he asked:

β€˜I have heard that in your Zen there is a saying: The mind, the Buddha; no mind, no Buddha. What does it mean?’

The teacher said: β€˜Let the Ajari (teacher) find the right two phrases in the Heart Sutra, and he will grasp the meaning.’

TESTS

  1. What are the two phrases in the Heart Sutra?

  2. When you have these phrases, how do you grasp the meaning of The mind, the Buddha; no mind, no Buddha? Say!

This became a koan at the interviews of priest Chuei, the 110th master at Enkakuji.

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