No Water No Moon

Chiyono studied Zen with Master Bukko for a long time.

She had yet to realize the fruits of meditation.

One night, the moon was bright.

Chiyono was carrying some water in a bamboo pail.

The bamboo broke and the bottom fell out.

Chiyono was liberated.

She wrote this poem:

“Like this, like that, I tried to save the old pail

Because the bamboo was weak and about to break.

At last, the bottom fell out.

No more water in the pail.

No more moon in the water!”