Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, with Basho's Haikus - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 9. THE BUDDHA IS YOUR EMPTY HEARTHYAKUJO SAID, ”MY SUCCESSORS WILL BE MISSING.”Maneesha, this is the last talk on Hyakujo, and the piece that you have chosen is the strangest – abeautiful ending, showing Hyakujo at his peak.ON ONE OCCASION, ISAN, GOHO AND UNGAN, WERE ALL STANDING TOGETHER INATTENDANCE ON HYAKUJO. These three were the most intimate disciples. One of the threewas going to be the successor – so was the rumor. In the thousands of disciples these three werepossible successors. And every master, before choosing, asks a question which is in fact a koanwhich cannot be answered.HYAKUJO SAID TO ISAN... This was the evening of his life, time to depart from the world. He wasin search now for whom to transmit the light that he had carried his whole life. He asked Isan, ”WITHYOUR MOUTH AND LIPS CLOSED, HOW WOULD YOU SAY IT?”Two things: first, the it is the ultimate experience. Zen is very particular. There have been godswhich are male gods, created by male chauvinists: ”How can a god be a woman?” And there havebeen women goddesses in the primitive tribes, far closer to the idea of the father god than themother goddess, because the mother gives birth to life. God can be conceived as the whole wombof universe. He creates the world. It seems to be more human to conceive of God as a woman,but the male chauvinist mind won’t allow it. So only in very primitive tribes is there still some ideaof mother goddesses. But all over the world, in the so-called civilized societies, the male chauvinisthas replaced the mother goddesses and has put father god’s.To avoid this stupid controversy about whether God is a man or a woman, Zen calls the ultimateexperience, it – neither he nor she. That comes very close to the point of how God can be male orGod can be female. It can only be a neutral life principle which can express itself in thousands ofways in men, in women, in trees, in mountains. Those are all just his expressions. In reality, hiddenbehind all these expressions, is a pure life principle. It can only be called it.So when Hyakujo asked, ”WITH YOUR MOUTH AND LIPS CLOSED, HOW WOULD YOU SAY IT?”Those who are not acquainted with the world of Zen, will be simply surprised, ”What are you asking,what is it! In the first place you are asking an impossible thing: ‘With your mouth and lips closed,’and in the second place you are asking, ‘How would you say it?’ – two mysteries in one question.”ISAN SAID, ”I WOULD ASK YOU TO SAY IT.” He challenged his masters: ”It is impossible, but I willgive you a chance. If I cannot say it, I want you to say it. With your lips closed, with your mouth shut,say it.”HYAKUJO SAID, ”I COULD SAY IT, BUT IF I DID SO, I FEAR I SHOULD HAVE NO SUCCESSORS.”What he is saying is, ”If I have to say it, then you are not capable of being my successor. I can sayit. Neither the lips are needed nor the mouth. Just a good hit and you will know it that I have said it.”Ordinarily Hyakujo was not very much into hitting people. Perhaps this was the first time he had goneso far: ”My hit is going to be so great that perhaps you will fall dead. I won’t have any successors.And even if you survive my hit, you would have disqualified yourself. You have not answered. Ratherthan answering my question, you have questioned me – and this is a test to choose a successor.”Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, with Basho’s Haikus 123 Osho