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disciples, devotees, went on searching, from one monastery to another monastery, from one monk to another monk. There are no visible signs, no certificates to say who is enlightened. You have to find with your own heart someone in whose presence your heart starts dancing. It is an inner finding -- one in whose presence your whole life becomes light, in whose presence certainly your mind is gone as if it had been a shadow, and utter silence falls over you.
When he came to Hyakujo, he immediately became a disciple.
LATER, HYAKUJO SENT ISAN TO MOUNT I AS ABBOT. ISAN LIVED AS A WILD HERMIT INITIALLY, BUT BY AND BY BEGAN TO ATTRACT DISCIPLES; THEY FINALLY INCREASED TO ONE THOUSAND IN NUMBER. ISAN TAUGHT AT MOUNT I FOR MORE THAN FORTY YEARS.
This was just a small biographical note. Now the sutras.
ONE NIGHT ISAN WAS IN ATTENDANCE ON HYAKUJO, SITTING TILL LATE IN THE QUIETNESS OF THE MOUNTAIN TEMPLE.
"WHO ARE YOU?" HYAKUJO ASKED.
"REIYU," REPLIED ISAN.
"RAKE IN THE FIREPLACE," INSTRUCTED HYAKUJO.
ISAN DID AS HE WAS TOLD AND SAID, "I FIND NO EMBERS LEFT" -- the fire is completely gone, there are no more embers left.
HYAKUJO TOOK UP THE TONGS AND, RAKING DEEP DOWN, BROUGHT UP A TINY BURNING EMBER, WHICH HE SHOWED TO ISAN, AND SAID, "JUST THIS, YOU SEE! -- you did not go deep enough."
On a silent night in a mountain temple... everything a master does has a purpose. He has asked Isan to find out if there is any fire left in the wood. The night is becoming colder; just find out. Ordinarily, it is an insignificant act. Isan did as he was told, but said, "I find no embers left. The fire has completely gone out."
HYAKUJO TOOK UP THE TONGS.... This is the way Zen is -- a direct teaching, no words. HYAKUJO TOOK UP THE TONGS AND, RAKING DEEP DOWN, BROUGHT UP A TINY BURNING EMBER, WHICH HE SHOWED TO ISAN, AND SAID, "JUST THIS, YOU SEE! You did not go deep enough."
ISAN WAS SUDDENLY ENLIGHTENED... because this was the exact situation in his meditations. He was going, but not deep enough to find the fire of life. Immediately, without saying anything -- enlightenment is not being talked about -- but seeing
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