A Tea Cup Dropped

Two gathas (poems) by the Venerable Master Hsu Yun (1839-1959), who gained his enlightenment circa 1895 during the course of a rigorous 12-week Chan meditation session at Gao Ming monastery in Yangchow, China. As is the custom in Chinese Chan sessions, monks are served tea between sits to help keep them alert. The master dropped his cup as hot water spilled from the pouring pot onto his hand.

A cup fell to the ground
With a sound clearly heard.
As space was pulverised,
The mad mind came to a stop.

When the hand released its hold, the cup fell and was shattered,
'Tis hard to talk when the family breaks up or someone dies.
Spring comes with fragrant flowers exuberating everywhere;
Mountains, rivers and the great earth are only the Tathagata.

Excerpted from Empty Cloud: The Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Master Xu Yun, by Charles Luk (Translator).

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