THE MONK, KANKEI, ONCE VISITED THE NUN, MASSAN RYONEN. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, "IF WHAT SHE SAYS HITS THE SPOT, I WILL REMAIN THERE. IF IT DOESN'T I WILL OVERTURN THE ZEN SEAT!"
HE ENTERED THE HALL, AND MASSAN SENT A MESSENGER TO ASK, "HAVE YOU COME ON A MOUNTAIN-VIEWING JOURNEY, OR FOR THE SAKE OF BUDDHISM?"
IN RESPONSE, KANKEI SAID, "FOR THE SAKE OF BUDDHISM," SO MASSAN SAT UPON HER SEAT, AND KANKEI APPROACHED HER.
SHE SAID, "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM TODAY, MAY I ASK?"
KANKEI REPLIED, "FROM ROKO."
MASSAN THEN SAID TO KANKEI, "WHY DON'T YOU REMOVE YOUR BAMBOO HAT?"
KANKEI HAD NO REPLY, AND, MAKING HIS BOWS, ASKED, "WHAT IS MASSAN?"
SHE ANSWERED, "IT DOES NOT SHOW ITS PEAK."
HE ASKED, "WHO IS MASSAN'S HUSBAND?"
SHE ANSWERED, "THERE IS NOT REAL FORM OF MEN AND WOMEN."
HE SAID, "KWATZ!" AND ASKED, "WHY THEN DON'T YOU CHANGE AND DISAPPEAR?"
SHE SAID, "I AM NOT A GOD, I AM NOT A DEMON. WHAT COULD I CHANGE?"
AT THIS, KANKEI KNELT DOWN, AND BECAME THE GARDENER OF MASSAN'S TEMPLE FOR THREE YEARS.
AT ANOTHER TIME, GOEI WENT TO SEKITO AND SAID, "IF YOU CAN SAY A WORD, I WILL REMAIN HERE; OTHERWISE I WILL GO AWAY."
SEKITO SIMPLY SAT THERE, AND GOEI WENT OFF.
FROM THE BACK, SEKITO CALLED HIM, "JARI! JARI!"
GOEI TURNED HIS HEAD.
SEKITO SAID, "FROM BIRTH TO DEATH, IT IS JUST LIKE THIS - TURNING THE HEAD, TURNING THE BRAIN. HOW ABOUT IT?"
GOEI WAS SUDDENLY ENLIGHTENED, SO HE BROKE HIS STAFF.