Nothing Exists

Tesshu, when he was a young Zen student, wanted to impress the Zen master, Dokuon.

He said to the master,

“The mind does not exist. Sentient beings do not exist.

The true nature of phenomena is emptiness.

There is no realization, no delusion

There is no sage, no mediocrity.

There is no giving, and nothing to be gained.”

Dokuon was smoking his pipe quietly.

Suddenly, he whacked the young man’s head with his bamboo pipe.

The latter was visibly angry.

Dokuon asked him, “If nothing exists, where does your anger come from?”