I
would like to talk about the relationship between Master and disciple
in Buddhism, especially in Shin Buddhism, the school upon which our
Buddhist centre, Three Wheels, is established.
How
do disciples approach their master and how does the master respond to
them? The relationship between Master and disciple varies depending on
what school they both belong to.
For
example, in Zen Buddhism, the most popular Buddhist school in the West,
the patriarchal transmission of the truth (Enlightenment-experience),
directly from person to person, is an essential part of the
relationship between Master and disciple. To attain this transmission
Zen Buddhists say they depend not on any letters but on the practice of
'just sitting in meditation.' Surrounded by the customary quiet of
monastic life the relationship becomes highly charged, sometimes
dynamic and even violent, if it proves necessary for a Master to awaken
his disciple. Let me give you an example:
The
Master (jp. Rinzai, ch. Lin-chi, ? - 867) took the high seat in the
Hall. He said: "There is a true man of no title in your mass of naked
flesh, who goes in and out from your facial gates [i.e., sense organs].
Those who have not yet testified [to the fact], look, look!" A monk
came forward and asked, "Who is this true man of no title?' Rinzai came
down from his chair and, taking hold of the monk by the throat, said,
"Speak, speak!" The monk hesitated. Rinzai let go his hold and said,
"What a worthless dirt-stick [literally, excrement-wiping spatula] this
man of no title is!" Then he returned to his quarters. (The Record of
Rinzai, Article 3) This story is from The Record of Lin-chi (ch.
Lin-chi-lu, jp. Rinzairoku).
