“It is no exaggeration to say that the entire practice of ethics and morality boils down to the means of decreasing the delusory attachment to an individual self.”
-Yamada Koun
Gateless Gate Case #15: Tozan’s 60 Blows
Tozan went to Un-mon and Un-mon asked him where he had come from.
Tozan answered, “From Sato!”
Then Un-mon asked, “Where were you then during the Summer?”
Tozan answered, “At Hoji Temple in Konan Province.”
Un-mon further asked Tozan, “When did you leave there?”
Tozan replied, “I left on August 25.”
Un-mon told Tozan, “You deserve 60 blows, but I will forgive you today!”
The next day Tozan knelt and deeply bowed to Un-mon and said, “Yesterday you forgave me the 60 blows, but I still do not understand in what respect I was wrong.”
Then Un mon told Tozan, “You are really a good-for-nothing rice eater! No wonder you wandered around Konan and Kosei for nothing!”
At this very moment, Tozan was awakened.