Known as Un Mun in Korea, and Yun Men in China, Ummon Bun'en Zenji (Japanese) was a Zen Master during the golden age of Zen in T'ang Dynasty China (864-949 AD). A monk asked Zen Master Un Mun, "What will happen when the leaves fall and the trees become bare?" Ummon said, "Golden Wind!" "This monk is asking Master Ummon, 'What will happen when thoughts, ideas, opinions, emotional reactions, psychological problems, attachments, expectations, life, death, sickness, and old age all fall away and our minds become bare?'Un Mun Zen Master's answer in Japanese is tairo kimpu. Literally, tai means 'body' and ro means 'manifestation' or 'revelation.' Kimpu means 'golden wind.'A monk asked Ummon, "What is the kind of talk that transcends Buddhas and Patriarchs?" Ummon replied, "Rice cake!" A monk asked Ummon, "What is Ummon's melody?" Ummon replied, "The twenty-fifth of December!" A monk asked Ummon, "What is the samadhi of each individual thing?" Ummon replied, "Rice in bowl, water in pail!" A monk asked Ummon, "No thoughts have risen. Are there any faults or not?" Ummon said, "Mount Sumeru!" Said Ummon to his disciples, "I do not ask you to say anything about before the fifteenth day of the month, but say something about after the fifteenth day of the month." Because no monk could reply, Ummon answered himself and said, "Every day is a good day!" Said Ummon to his disciples, "However wonderful a thing is, it may be that it is better not to have it at all." Said Ummon to his disciples, "Look! The world is vast and wide. Why do you put on your priest's robe at the sound of the bell?" A monk asked Ummon, "What is Buddha?" Ummon said, "Kanshiketsu! [A dry shit-stick!]" So just like that-dry shit on a stick is Buddha. The mind that discriminates will never undersatnd anything-just like this-the golden statue is Buddha! What is not the Buddha-if you find that through thinking-you will fall into hell! How to rectify this situationFor more on Zen Master Un Mun order The Compass of Zen by Zen Master Seung Sahn. Always in stock at Amazon.com!
