The Magical Cane Master

The Magical Cane Master

I. Sudden vs Gradual

Master Pita asked Shifu Miao Zhang,
"What is sudden enlightenment?"

Shifu Zhang immediately
threw his staff on the muddy ground.

Master Xita asked Shifu Miao Zhang,
"What is gradual enlightenment?"

Shifu Zhang stomped on his muddy staff three times,
and yelled "Get to Work!"

 

II. Slicing Through Nothing

Mayoku walked around his old
Daoist friend, Shifu Miao Zhang,
three times, and he then thumped
his oak staff once on the ground.

Miao Zhang stood up,
walked around Mayoku once,
tapped his pine cane
three times on the wall, and said,

"The power of the wind can topple trees
      and is gone by morning.
My cane can cut through the wind."

 

III. From the East to the West

Master Sound of Bitterroot Mountain
      asked Shifu Miao Zhang,
'What is the meaning of Old Pahto
      emerging in the West?'

Shifu lifted his cane and placed it in his mouth,
      saying nothing.

Later, zany Zen liar that he was, he wrote:
"No minds, no Dharma.
No-mind, much Dharma."

 

IV. I Will Take Your Staff Away

Zen Master Baqiao told his old friend,
Shifu Miao Zhang, "If you have a staff,
I will give you a staff; if you have no staff,
I will take your staff away."

Shifu Zhang replied "I have a cane and
you don't. Would you like to borrow yours?"

Baqiao replied, "Miao Zhang, you will
have to walk into Hell!"

Miao Zhang raised his eyebrows and said,
"Well, Baqiao, then I will need to
borrow my cane for the long hot walk
with you. Sorry, but I can't lend your cane to you."

 

V. Same or Different

Zen Master Seung Sahn held up his staff
in front of Shifu Miao Zhang, and said
"Then, Miao Zhang, what are this staff,
this sound and your mind? Are they the
same or different? If you say "same," I
will hit you ten times. If you say "different,"
I will also hit you ten times. Why?"

Miao Zhang lifted his cane slowly, grounded himself,
prepared to block Seung Sahn's strike and then said,
"Don't know! Same or different,
nobody can hit the sound of our minds."

Meetings with Master Chang San Feng

Shifu Miao Zhang Points the Way

Zen Koans

Zatoichi and Kung Fu TV Characters