Zen is an essence of Meditation. A meditation where a “human” part of the human being merge with its” being” part.
This is a beautiful story of Zen which conveys the meaning of life with the question of What is this?
When Seppo a Zen monk was living in his hermitage, two monks came to pay their respects. as Seppo saw them coming he pushed open the gate and, presenting himself to them, said, ”What is this?”
The monks also said, ”What is this?”
Seppo lowered his head and returned to his cottage.
Later, the monks came to Ganto a Zen Master, who said, ”Where are you from?”
The monks answered, ”we have come from south of the Nanrei mountains.”
Ganto said, ”have you ever been to see Seppo?”
The monks said, ”Yes, we have been to him.”
Ganto said, ”What did he say to you?”
The monks related the whole story.
Ganto said, ”Alas! I regret that I did not tell him the last word when I was with him. if I had done so, no one in the whole world could have pretended to outdo him.”
At the end of the summer session, the monks repeated the story and asked
Ganto for his instruction.
Ganto said, ”Why didn’t you ask earlier?”
The monks said, ”we have had a hard time struggling with this topic.”
Ganto said, ”Seppo came to life in the same way that I did, but he does not die in the same way that I do. if you want to know the last word, I’ll tell you simply – This! This!”
