Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘The teachings of the Patriarchs, as you know, are very different from the elucidations of Buddhist scholars, who never get further than “one foot is one foot and two feet are two feet.” To be able to make one’s actions really accord with circumstances, watching the movements of the opponent and breaking through them, this is the meaning of the well- known Zen phrase, “family broken up, house ruined.” Today people divide up into two groups, those who believe in practice and those who put their trust in intellectual understanding, but neither of them has got out of the scholars’ gate. The Buddha said, “From my first sermon at the Deer Park to my last one by the Hiranyavati River I have not preached a single word.” If you can see what he meant by that you may praise me or abuse me as you please.’ (West Mountain Evening Talk)