Teachings From Ancient Vietnamese Zen Masters – 110
An ancient Zen master in China once blew out a candle, and his student
became suddenly enlightened. What happened there? Let’s see the
story. Two monks had a dharma conversation. The student asked a lot
of questions, heard some answers, then left when it was dark outside.
The master offered a lighted candle. When the student took the candle,
the master blew it out. The student became suddenly enlightened.
What did they talk in the dharma conversation? About the unborn mind?
About the unmoving mind? The day was gone, and the night was
coming; what was not gone, and what was not coming? Now, look at
the candle. The light was lit, and then was extinguished; what was not
lit, and what was not extinguished there? Ask the ancient monks. Was
that the non-self seeing? Or when the student saw the light and then
saw the dark, he realized that in the deathless seeing there was just the
seen?)
