Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘I left home to be ordained at the age of 12 years old. … In those days, Kishizawa Ian Roshi delivered some lectures on the Shobogenzo, and so came for a Shobogenzo Study Group to Shizuoka Prefecture. At that time, my senior brother trainee priest said, because it happened to be just the very next day right after my Ordination, “Rempo, please come bring some tea and sweets to Roshi’s place.” When I asked him, “How should I offer sweets to the Roshi, what should I say?” my brother monk said, “Please do take one.” At that point I don’t remember if I kneeled down or bent down or stood up while serving, but I remember saying to the Roshi, “Please do take one.” And I put out a Japanese sweet beancurd pastry. Smiling and looking at my face, the Roshi said, “Eh, you will only give me one?” He laughed. I was really surprised, so I sprang up and ran away. After that, the Roshi was very kind to me for the next fifty years, but after he died what I still remember is, “Eh, you will only give me one?” You see, “One thing is all phenomena,” all is one. This means that one is all. This is a noble teaching in fact, and for us our every action, each move of the hand or move of the foot, is truly the noble path of the Buddha way. It is taught that our entire self is there.’ (On Zen Practice)