A Minute Of Meditation

“A monk came to Sekito and asked how he could be freed. Instead of answering directly, the master replied 'Who has put you in prison?' The monk tried to understand but couldn't. He asked again a different way: 'How can I become pure?' The master did not hesitate to reply. 'Who has made you impure?' The monk was surprised but tried a third way: 'What is Nirvana?' The master Sekito simply asked the monk 'Who has trapped you in the cycle of rebirth?' - Ch'an Master Shi-T'ou (Sekito) The Ch'an master Chen Hsi-ch'ien (700-790) was known as Shi-T'ou (literally “Stone Head”) because he built his humble hut on a flat rock instead of the ground. His landmark book “Transmission of the Light” features the question-answer format you commonly find in Buddhist wisdom. Here, we will use his Japanese name Sekito to honour his importance to Zen Buddhism -- he is considered one of its two major leaders. Listen to message that lies beyond his words. Imagine the dialog and the thought that led up to this point. Avoid distractio