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You will know this, but for yourself only, like a

dumb man who has had a dream. Then all of a

sudden a remarkable awakening will occur, and

you will astonish the heavens and shake the

earth.

It will be as if you snatch away the great sword of

the valiant general Kanu and hold it in your hand.

When you meet the Buddha, you kill him; when

you meet the Matriarchs/Patriarchs, you kill them.

On the brink of life and death, you command

perfect freedom. Among the six-fold worlds and

four modes of existence, you enjoy a merry and

playful Samadhi.

Now, I want to ask you again: How will you

accomplish this? Employ every ounce of your

energy to work on this NO. If you hold on without

interruption, behold: A single spark, and the holy

candle is lit!

Note

The Japanese word MU is the first koan practiced

in our Rinzai Zen tradition. The actual word

spoken by Joshu was the Chinese word WU. Both

of these words mean No! But it is obvious that

the dog exists. Isn’t all that exists part of Buddha

nature? What then is meant by this answer? This

answer is a universal No.

This

No

is absolute. This

No

cuts through

any conceptual attachment. What part of

No

do

you not understand? This

No

is beyond

comprehension. This

No

in time becomes Know!

This is the Know of Not-Knowing!