21.7.05

Now water is carried, wood is chopped!

A Zen Master was chopping wood. A man had come to enquire. He had heard the name of the Zen Master. It had been a long journey to come to the mountains where the Master lived with his disciples. He asked this woodcutter -- because he could not think that the Master would be chopping wood -- he asked this woodcutter, "I have heard about a great Zen Master who is enlightened. Where is he?" And the Master said, "Look at me! I am that!" The seeker thought this man to be mad. Still, to be polite with him -- and it is better to be polite with a madman.... And he had a great axe in his hand, and who knows? And he looked so ferocious....
And he said, "I am that! What do you want?"
He said, "So you are that great Master. What did you do before your enlightenment?"
He said, "I used to chop wood and carry water from the well."
"And now what do you do?"
He said, "I chop wood and carry water from the well."
And the man said, "Then what is the difference? Then what is the point of your enlightenment if you still chop wood and carry the water from the well?" And the Master laughed...
He laughed and said, "You fool! Before enlightenment I used to chop wood, I used to carry water. Now water is carried, wood is chopped.
I am not the doer; that is the difference."