Zen Master Hoshin lived in China for many years. Returning later, he settled in northeast Japan, where he taught students. Having already become quite old, he told them a story he had heard in China. Here it is:
“One day on the twenty-fifth of December, the now very old Tofuku said to his students: “I’m not going to live next year, so you guys be good to me this year.”
The students decided that he was joking, but since he was a generous teacher, during the remaining days of the passing year, each one in turn invited him to a festive dinner. On New Year's Eve, Tofuku stated, “You have been good to me. I will leave you tomorrow afternoon when the snow stops.”
The disciples laughed, believing that he was talking senile nonsense, since the night was clear and snowless. But at midnight the snow began to fall, and the next day they could not find their teacher anywhere. When they arrived at the meditation hall, they saw that he had died there.
After telling this story, Hoshin said to his disciples:
“A Zen master does not need to predict his departure, but he can do so if he wants.”
- Can you? - someone asked.
“Yes,” answered Hoshin, “in seven days I will show you what I can do.” None of the students believed him. Most even forgot this conversation when Hoshin called everyone again.
“Seven days ago,” he said, “I announced that I was going to leave you.” It is customary to write a poem at parting, but I am neither a poet nor a master of calligraphy. Let one of you write down my last words.
The students decided that he was joking, but one of them began to write.
- Ready? - Hoshin asked.
“Yes, sir,” answered the student.
Hoshin dictated:
I came from the radiance - I am returning to the radiance. What is this? Before the four lines required by the canon, one more line was missing in the poem, and the student said: “Teacher, we are missing a line.”
Hoshin answered him with a victorious lion's roar: “Ha-a!..” and left.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru