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| WEEKLY ZEN
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* * * Once to the Old Master of the Chinese Martial arts came an European fighter and asked: «Teacher, I am the champion of my country on boxing and the French struggle, what alse could you teach me?»
The Old Master has kept silent for a while, then smiled and said: «Imagine that, walking in a city, you casually get on street where several burglars are waiting and dreaming to plunder you and break your ribs. And so, I would teach you not to walk on such streets»
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Dōkyo Yetan (1641-1721) who is better known as Shōjū Rōnin (Shōjū the Old Gentleman), was the teacher of Hakuin (1685-1768), who is one of the great modern Zen masters of Japan. Shōjū Rōnin had once a swordsman visitor, who said:
” I have been disciplined in swordsmanship since my younger days. For the past twenty years I have been assiduously employed in the study of it under teachers of different schools, and I am master of all their secrets. I now have a great wish to establish a school of my own and have been at it for some time. In spite of my most arduous search for the ultimate principle of a new school, I have not been able to take hold on it. All my efforts to realize the ultimate myō have so far been a complete failure. Is it possible for you to teach me the way to it?”
After attentively listening to this, Shōjū Rōnin stood up from his seat and struck the swordsman three times with both his fists, using all the strength in him. Not only this, the Rōnin kicked the man down onto the floor. It was indeed the roughest treatment one can get from other, but it produced the desired effect on the swordsman, because he then had a satori. It is said that the experience opened up a new vista to his art.
The report of this interview caused a stir among the swordsmen in the neighborhood, and they began to visit Shōjū Rōnin inquiring how to make Zen work with their profession. One day they invited Shōjū Rōnin to tea and had him watch the contests among themselves. Finally they said:
” You are a great master of Zen, and as far as theory is concerned we cannot compete with you. But when the question comes to actual use of the sword, we are afraid that you can not beat us”.
Shōjū Rōnin said, “If you wish to strike me, just strike, but I am afraid that you can not”.
The swordsmen exchanged an ominous glance among them and said:
” Would you really permit us to have a trial once with you?”
The Rōnin agreed.
They stood up and were ready to try the sword with the Zen master. The latter, however, refused to take a sword, saying:
“I am a Buddhist. Here is a fan and it will be my weapon. Strike when you are ready. If you do, I will grant that you are a good swordsman”.
Lifting their swords high up and uttering loud cries, they tried by every means to strike the master. But his fan was seen everywhere and there was no opening for them to let the weapon fall upon him. They at last had to acknowledge their defeat.
Later, there was a monk who asked Shōjū Rōnin:
“As to Zen, I would not say anything, but how did you ever manage to play sword?”
The Rōnin said:
“When the right insight is gained and knows no obstruction, it applies to anything, including swordplay. The ordinary people are concerned with names. As soon as they hear one name discrimination takes place in their minds. The owner of the right eye sees each object in its own light. When he sees the sword, he knows at once the way it operates. He confronts the multiplicity of things and is not confounded.”
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