Kassan and Jozan were going along, talking together, when Jozan said, ”if, within life-and-death, there were no Buddha, there would be no life-and death.”
Kassan said, ”if the Buddha were within life-and-death, there would be no delusion with regard to life-and-death.”
They argued back and forth, and there was no end to it. Finally, they decided to ask daibai. Kassan said to him, ”of these two opinions, which is the more familiar?”
Daibai said, ”one is familiar, one is distant.”
”which is the familiar one?” Said kassan.
”go away and ask me again tomorrow,” responded daibai.
The next day kassan came again and asked. Daibai said, ”a familiar one does not ask. One who asks is not familiar.”
Kassan afterwards said, ”at that time, when I was with daibai, I lost my Buddhaeye.”
On another occasion, hogen asked hakuyo, ”where is the dwelling place of the Buddha?”
Hakuyo answered, ”no fixed place.”
Hogen objected, ”if this is the absolute Buddha, how can it not be fixed, no special place?”
Hakuyo said, ”if it were in a special place, it would not be the absolute Buddha.”
Hogen agreed.
