Bonus Episode: Master Nan Tells a Zen Story

The contemporary master Nan Huaijin (Nan Huai-Chin), during one of his lectures, brought up this old story about the very early Zen master Yaoshan Weiyan (藥山惟儼) who died in the ninth century. Yaoshan left an extensive record of "sayings" which have been used throughout the centuries as sparks for enlightenment.

Here is one:
One day, as Weiyan was sitting, Master Shitou asked him, “What are you doing here?”
Weiyan said, “I'm not doing anything.”
The master said, “Then you're just sitting idly.”
Weiyan said, “If I were sitting idly, I'd be doing something.”
The master said, “Okay, you're not doing anything. But what is it you're not doing?”
Weiyan said, “Even a thousand sages don't know.”
The master approved.

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Transcript

Bonus Episode: Master Nan 

Master Nan Huaijin (Nan Huai-Chin) is a very influential author of books in Chinese and English. While most of his works remain in Chinese, several excellent ones have been translated into English, notably by J.C. Cleary. Master Nan is unusual in being thoroughly versed in the schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism and Chan Buddhism, and thus able to express realisations in a wide variety of ways, not encumbered by sectarian limitations. 

Master Nan tells a Zen story

The Chan teacher Yaoshan (藥山惟儼) was well known in the province of Jiangxi, although he rarely left his monastery. The governor of the province, a neo-Confucian called Lǐ Aó (李翱), had heard that perhaps the Chan people knew something. He decided to visit.

So he changed out of his official garments and made his way to the monastery on foot. Despite his precautions, all along the route the mayor of each city and village headmen would come out personally to greet him with an entourage to welcome the arrival of this important official.

Finally Li Ao made his way up the mountain and was shown into Yaoshan’s room.

The master was facing away from him, reading a classic text by the light of the window. Li Ao could see the Yaoshan was tall and thin, almost emaciated from his vegetarian diet. Li Ao stood silently behind him, but the master did not turn. Finally the young monk attendant cleared his throat and said ‘Master, the provincial governor is here.’

‘Unh,’ Yaoshan said, appearing both to hear, and not hear, what had been said.

Li Ao’s ire rose, and turning away, he said ‘Hearing the reputation is not as good as seeing for oneself.’

Yaoshan let him walk a few steps, and then said ‘Governor, why do you slight the eye in favor of the ear?’

Li Ao got a shock, and turning back begged forgiveness. Then he asked ‘Can you tell me about the Dao?’

Yaoshan looked at him, then pointed once upward and once downward.

He paused, then asked ‘Do you get it?’

Li Ao, realising the master was the real thing, shook his head.

Yaoshan pointed upward again and said ‘Clouds in a clear sky.’

He pointed downward and said ‘Water in glass.’

Li Ao later wrote a famous poem enshrining the incident:

练得身形似鹤形，千株松下两函经；

我来问道无余说，云在青天水在瓶。

Practice made him resemble a crane;

Two bundles of sutras under a forest of pines.

I asked the Dao, and he wasted no words:

‘Clouds in a clear sky, water in glass.’

The Metropolitan Museum in New York has an ancient painting depicting this meeting:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/40278