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39. Sleeping in the Daytime
The master Soya Shaku passed from this world when he was sixty-one
years of age. Fulfilling his life's work, he left a great teaching,
far richer than that of most Zen masters.
His pupils used to sleep in the daytime during midsummer, and while
he overlooked this he himself never wasted a minute.
When he was but twelve year old he was already studying Tendai
philosophical speculation. One summer day the air had been so sultry
that Little Soyen stretched his legs and went to sleep while his
teacher was away.
Three hours passed when, suddenly waking he heard
his master enter, but it was too late. There he lay, sprawled across
the doorway.
‘I beg your pardon, I beg your pardon,' his teacher whispered,
stepping carefully over Soyen's body as if it were that of some
distinguished guest. After this, Soyen never slept again in the
afternoon.
40. In Dreamland
'Our schoolmaster used to take a nap every afternoon,' related a
disciple of Soyen Shaku. 'We children asked him why he did it and he
told us: ‘I go to dreamland to meet the old sages just as Confucius
did.’ When Confucius slept, he would dream of ancient sages and
later tell his followers about them.
It was extremely hot one day so some of us took a nap. Our
schoolmaster scolded us. "We went to dreamland to meet the ancient
sages the same as Confucius did," we explained. "What was the
message from those sages?" our schoolmaster demanded.
One of us replied: "We went to dreamland and met the sages and asked
than if our schoolmaster came there every afternoon, but they said
they had never seen any such fellow."
41. Joshu's Zen
Joshu began the study of Zen when he was sixty years old and
continued until he was eighty, when he realized Zen.
He taught from the age of eighty until he was one hundred and
twenty. A student once asked him: ‘If I haven't anything in my mind,
what shall I do?'
Joshu replied: ‘Throw it out.'
'But if I haven't anything how on I throw it out?' continued the
questioner.
'Well,' said Joshu, 'then carry it out.’
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