ShoUn
and His Mother
ShoUn became a teacher
of Soto Zen. When he was still a student his father passed away, leaving him to
care for his old mother.
Whenever ShoUn went to
a meditation hall he always took his mother with him.
Since she accompanied
him, when he visited monasteries he could not live with the monks. So he would
build a little house and care for her there.
He would copy Sutras,
Buddhist verses, and in this manner receive a few coins for food.
When ShoUn bought fish
for his mother, the people would scoff at him, for a monk is not supposed to
eat fish. But ShoUn did not mind.
His mother, however,
was hurt to see the others laugh at her son. Finally she told ShoUn: "I think I will become a nun. I can be
a vegaterian too."
She did, and they studied
together.
ShoUn was fond of
music and was a master of the harp, which his mother also played. On full-moon
nights they used to play together.
One night a young lady
passed by their house and heard music. Deeply touched, she invited ShoUn to
visit her the next evening and play. He accepted the invitation.
A few days later he
met the young lady on the street and thanked her for her hospitality. Others
laughed at him. He had visited the house of a woman of the streets.
One day ShoUn left for
a distant temple to deliver a lecture. A few months afterwards he returned home
to find his mother dead. Friends had not known where to reach him, so the
funeral was then in progress.
ShoUn walked up and
hit the coffin with his staff. "Mother,
your son has returned," he said.
"I am glad to see you have returned,
son,"
he answered for his
mother.
"Yes, I am glad too," ShoUn responded.
Then he announced to
the people about him: "The funeral
ceremony is over. You may bury the body."
When ShoUn was old he
knew his end was approaching. He asked his disciples to gather around him in
the morning, telling them he was going to pass on at noon. Burning incense
before the picture of his mother and his old teacher, he wrote a poem:
~ For
fifty-six years I lived as best I could,
Making
my way in this world.
Now
the rain has ended,
The
clouds are clearing,
The blue sky has a
full moon. ~
His disciples gathered about him, reciting a Sutra.
ShoUn passed on during the recitation.
