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Oak tree in the garden

Zhaozhou's spirit

A monk asked Zhaozhou Congshen (778-897), who was one of the great Chan (Zen) masters during the later period of Tang Dynasty in China and served as an abbot of a temple called Guanyin-yuan which was in Hubei-sheng's small town Zhaozhou, "With what intention did Bodhidharma come to China?" Zhaozhou answered, "The oak tree in the front garden." (Wumenguan CASE 37)

Wumen's Comments:

If you grasp Zhaozhou's spirit in his answer precisely, there is no Shakyamuni Buddha before you and no Maitreya Buddha after you.

Five small barley loaves and two small fish

Jesus crossed the far shore of the Sea of Galilee and went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. When Jesus saw a great crowd following him, he asked his disciples to give them bread as he always did. But Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.

Jesus did not complain of too little bread and fish they had, but just took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John6:1-13)

If they did not have even one loave of bread and a fish, what would Jesus do? He would say to the people "God wants us to be hungry, so let us share the hunger" and give thanks.

Food that endures to eternal life

The next day when Jesus, who had returned to Capernaum, went to the synagogue and saw some of the people who had pursued him from the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee where thay had eaten the loaves. He said "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life." (John6:22-27)

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" just as the monk asked Zhaozhou the reason of Bodhidharma's visiting to China. Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in me who has been sent to you by God."(John6:28-29)

So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus replied, "I am the living bread which my Father has given to you. Only who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life."(John6:30-58)

Without the Spirit, the flesh counts for nothing

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him according to the Gospel of John. Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. The Spirit gives life; without the Spirit, the flesh counts for nothing." (John6:60-63)

Jesus's teaching is the Spirit. If anyone cannot get the Spirit, it counts for nothing that he eats Jesus's flesh and drinks his blood. In other words if he gets the Spirit, whatever he eats and drinks, they are all Jesus's flesh and his blood. Therefore Jesus asked his disciples "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."

The scene of the Last Supper which Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples is seen in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 26. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood. (Mat26:26-28) Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane and fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Mat26:36-39)

The hardship happens so the power of God could be seen

There are the rich, the honored, the talented and also the blind and the lame in this world. It is not an equal world. However one thing can be assured that they are all sent by God with the Divine Mandate. As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. "Rabbi," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.(John9:1-3)

Jesus taught us that we have to give thanks and accept God's arrangements for us which is the Divine Mandate and cannot be changed. These arrangements are the starting point to do the will of him who sent us and to finish his work. (Eko-an Hensho-koji 2008/03/23)