Chinso Shosho Comes to Visit Zen Master Shifuku

The Case

Chinso came to see zen master Shifuku. Shifuku drew a circle in the air. Chinso said, "I have no object in coming here. Why do you bother to draw a circle?" Shifuku closed the door of his room.

(Setcho says, "Chinso has only one eye.")

Engo's Introduction

He does not distinguish east from west nor north from south. From morning to evening, from evening to morning, so he remains. Can he be called asleep? Sometimes his eyes are like shooting stars. Can we call him wide awake? Sometimes he points to the south, calling it the north. Tell me, is he mindful or mindless; is he a man of enlightenment or a mediocrity? If you thoroughly understand this topic and know the secret of it, you will realize how the ancient masters went this way and that. Tell me, what season of life is this?

Verse

Perfect the circle, pure the sound,
Bright and abundant the encircling jade,
Loaded on horses and mules,
Loaded on board the iron boats,
Given to those who know
The peace and freedom of land and sea.
He put down the tackle to fish the turtle.
Setcho comments here:
"Monks throughout the world can't jump out of it."