The scholar, ryo of seizan, once had a meeting with baso, who asked him, ”What sutra are you lecturing on?”
”the mind sutra,” he replied.
Baso said, ”By what do you lecture?”
Ryo answered, ”with mind.”
Baso said, ”The mind is like an actor, the meaning like a jester, the six senses like an acquaintance; how can the mind lecture on a sutra?”
Ryo retorted, ”If mind cannot lecture, can’t no-mind?”
Baso replied, ”Yes, no-mind can lecture all right.”
Ryo dusted his sleeves and began to take his departure.
Baso called to him and said, ”Professor!” Ryo turned his head.
Baso said, ”From birth to death, this is how it is.”
Ryo had a great awakening and bowed in respect to baso.
Baso said, ”What on earth are you bowing for, nit-wit?”
Ryo’s whole body was now running with sweat. Going back to his temple, ryo said to the monks, ”I thought it could be said that all my life, no one could lecture better than I on the sutras. Today, a question by Baso dissolved the
ice of a lifetime.” Ryo gave up his lectures and retired far into the western mountains and was heard of no more.
