The Invisible Zen Master Tozan

I was reading about a Zen master, Tozan – a very famous Zen master.

The story says that the Gods wanted to see him, but they couldn't because he was just an emptiness.

They would enter into him from this side and that, they would pass through him, but he was nowhere to be found. He was a nowhere-ness, a- nothingness… so empty of himself that they could not see him.

They were very curious to see a man who had become empty, so they played a trick.

They went to the kitchen as Tozan was coming from his morning walk and took a few handfuls of rice and wheat and threw it on his path.

In a Zen monastery that is almost a sin because it is very disrespectful to rice and wheat. Everything should be respected because everything is divine.

It is a respect for everything. Everything that exists and has existed, is divine and should be respected.

So in a Zen monastery nothing is wasted; one should be careful, and alert.

They played this trick and threw on his path a few handfuls of rice and wheat.

When Tozan came he could not believe it – that any disciple could do that. Who could do it? Who could be so careless and disrespectful?

This idea arose in him, and suddenly a self was there and the Gods could see him. The emptiness was no more empty.

Suddenly an idea had crystallised; an attitude, a mind had come. For a moment a cloud appeared in the blue sky and the Gods could see this man, Tozan.

Then the cloud disappeared because the idea disappeared.

From Osho &ndash Beloved of My Heart