Zen Dialogue - Sunyata
engraved by Hideo Yokokawa
In A run-down temple deep in the mountains, there lived an
old 'bonze'. One day, a wondering priest visited there. The
priest courteously showed the bonze an imprint of a seal on
a wrinkled paper taking it out of his pocket.
The bonze looked at it and found that the seal was just an
empty square border without any character in it. "Well,
what on earth is this for?" asked the bonze. Answering the
question, the priest said. "I hear that a square inch holds
the whole universe well. So, this is really a shape of ultimate
and absolute "Sunyata"
The bonze nodded calmly and said. "You should go away from
here after enjoying a cup of tea" The priest drank the offered
tea at a gulp and further asked gazing at the bonze with his
eyes turned up. "How do you think?"
The bonze seethed with furious anger and suddenly with his
all might struck a blow on the top of the priest's head by
a baton for wooden drum stick.
The priest was immediately attacked by the brain concussio
n feeling extraordinarily fine as if he was in heaven.
When suddenly he awoke and got back to himself, he said
"Oh, I have gained spiritual enlightenment! How gracious!"
Then, he run away as quickly as possible.