CASE #50:    Dōgen’s Eyes and Nose When he returned to Japan, someone asked Dōgen, “What did you bring back from China?” Dōgen answered, “I came back empty-handed. All I have is this: Eyes horizontal, nose vertical.” BACKGROUND:Dōgen    …

CASE #49:    Myōe Saves a Bee Once when Myōe was meditating in the main hall, he whispered to his attendant that a bee had just fallen into a pail of water in the washroom and would…

CASE #48:    Ta Tsung Makes a Stool One day three students from a nearby university offered to do some chores for Ta Tsung in exchange for his teaching. The old Ch’an master brought out a hammer…

CASE #47:    Rikyū’s “Only This” Sen no Rikyū, the founder of Cha-dō, once wrote the following poem: Tea is only this: First you heat the water. Then you make the tea. Then you drink it properly.…

CASE #46:    A Tree Joins the Monastery According to Buddhaghosa, the precept against injuring plants and trees came about in the following manner. Once when the Buddha had given permission for an assembly to dwell in…

CASE #45:    The Perfection of Wisdom in One Letter Homage to the Perfection of Wisdom! Thus have I heard. At one time the Lord dwelt at Rājagriha, on Vulture Peak, together with a large congregation of…