Ep. 8

Beloved acharya, the zen master mu-nan had only one successor. His name was shoju.

After shoju had completed his study of zen, mu-nan called him into his room and said, "i am getting old, and as far as I know you are the only one who will carry on this teaching. Here is a book. It has been passed down from master to master for seven generations, and I have also added many points according to my understanding. This book is very precious, and I am giving it to you to represent your successorship." shoju replied, "please keep the book. I received your zen without writing, and I was very happy with it, thank you." mu-nan replied, "i know that, but this great work has been carried from master to master for seven generations, and it will be a symbol of your learning. Here, take the book." the two were talking in front of a fire, and the instant shoju felt the book in his hands he thrust it into the flames.

Mu-nan, who had never in his life been angry before, shouted, "what are you doing?" and shoju shouted back, "and what are you saying?"

Season 4

Using traditional Zen stories and responding to seekers' questions, Acharya shows how man must first be grounded in himself before he can fly into the sky of consciousness. Acharya takes the reader from subjects as diverse as food, jealousy, businessmen and enlightenment, to how to know if one needs a master, the barriers we create through fear, and gratitude.

"Be rooted in the earth so that you can stretch to the sky; be rooted in the visible so that you can reach into the invisible. Don't create duality and don't create any antagonism. If I am against anything, I am against antagonism. I am against being against anything; I am for the whole, the complete circle. The world and God are not divided anywhere. There is no boundary: the world goes on spreading into God and God goes on spreading into the world. Really, to use two words is not good but language creates problems. We say the creator and the created, we divide. Language is dualistic; in reality there is no created and no creator, only creativity, only a process of infinite creativity. Nothing is divided. Everything is one -- undivided."