The Rice Cook

SHISHUANG QINGZHU SHISHUANG QINGZHU (807-88) was a disciple of Yaoshan Weiyan. He came from from the city of Xingan near anclent Luling. He was ordained a Zen Master Xishan Shaolong on Mt. Tai at the age of twenty-three, and then proceeded to study the Vinaya. Finding this path to be too slow he traveled to Mt. Gui, where he studied with Guishan Lingyou and worked preparing food in the kitchen. . . . In a famous exchange between Guishan and Shishuang, Gulshan chided him for overlooking a grain of rice that had accidentally dropped on the floor. / Shishuang went to Mt. Gui, where he served as a rice cook. Once when he was preparing the rice, Guishan said to him, "Don't lose anything offered by our patrons." Shishuang said, "I'm not losing anything." Guishan reached down and picked up a single grain of rice which had fallen to the ground and said, "You said you haven't lost anything, but what's this?" Shishuang didn't answer. Guishan said, "Don't lightly regard this one grain, a hundred thousand grains are born from this one." Shishuang said, "A hundred thousand grains are born from this one, but from what place is this one grain born?" Guishan laughed, "Ha,-ha,_" and went back to his room. That evening Guishan entered the hall and addressed the monks, saying, "Everyone! There's an insect in the rice. You should all go and see it! " .......................... ................ 

Zen Ancestors