Mumonkan

CASE 12. ZUIGAN CALLS HIMSELF "MASTER" Every day Zuigan used to call out to himself, "Master!" and then he answered himself, "Yes, Sir!" And he added, "Awake, Awake!" and then answered, "Yes, Sir! Yes, Sir!" "From now onwards, do not be deceived by others!" "No, Sir! I will not, Sir!" Mumon's Comment: The master, Zuigan, sells out and buys himself. He has a lot of puppets of gods and devils that he plays with. Why is this so? With one mask he asked, and with another he answered. With another mask he said, "Awake!" and another, "Don't be cheated by others!" If you adhere to any one of these, you are totally mistaken. If, however, you imitate Zuigan, then all these are no other than the fox's disguises. Some who search the Way of Zen do not realize true self, For they recognize only the ego-soul. This ego-soul is the seed of birth and death, Foolish people take it for the true original self.