Matsu, who lived in Tang Dynasty China, was a great spiritual leader of the Zen tradition. One day a monk trainee came to him and said “Beyond the four propositions and beyond the hundred negations (These are deeply technical and philosophical teachings from 2nd Century India.), what is the living meaning of the Buddha way?” The monk trainee had studied these teachings for years with the hope of helping all people become free. He was training to help his students reach the turning point where awakening occurs. He knew that these teachings are difficult to understand so he asked, “Beyond these teachings what is the special transmission of the depth of their truth?” He’s not asking about the teachings. He’s asking about something beyond the traditional teachings. It is a very profound question.
But Matsu answers, “I’m really tired today I can’t explain it to you. Go ask my student Shitou.”
So the monk asks Shitou the same question. “Beyond these teachings, what is the living meaning of the Buddha way?”
Shitou says, “Why don’t you ask Master Matsu? He’s the teacher.”
“I did,” says the monk, “and Master Matsu told me to ask you.”
Shitou says, “Well I have a headache so I can’t explain it to you. Go ask brother Watui.” So he goes and asks Watui who says, “Go ask Matsu.” The story goes through the same thing again and again.
These are great Zen masters who are the senior teachers in Matsu’s community, and they are saying that after many years of study and practice, they don’t understand what is the living meaning of the Buddha dharma outside the traditional teachings. How shocking!
So the student goes back to Matsu and tells him what happened, and Matsu says, “Shitou’s hair is white. Baizhang’s hair is black.” By this time, that monk trainee, if he hadn’t shaved his head, would be pulling out his hair in frustration.
This is a story of a conversation. Did the teachers tell the monk the living meaning of the Buddha way that is beyond the traditional teachings? Yes they did. But it wasn’t an answer anyone could hang on to. It was an answer that raised more questions. What is this about? What are they talking about? And in the discomfort of confusion one might say, ‘I’m changing religions. I want a religion where I can find something out and hold on to it. I don’t want to have all these conversations and questions. I want a definitive answer!’
But in Zen we won’t settle on a definitive answer. We believe in the intimacy of the “I don’t know” mind. We are like the monk who memorized all the major scriptures that had come to China. He was so enamored with the idea that his scriptures contained the ultimate truth that he carried them everywhere on his back. Once he visited Matsu and hoping to test him, asked, “What is the ultimate meaning of the Buddha way.” Matsu answered, “Not knowing.” The monk got very upset and demanded to know why Matsu would say such a thing when there were so many scriptures with an answer to that question. Matsu answered, “Because not-knowing is most intimate.”
This “I don’t know mind“ is a primary condition for realizing truth that is beyond the scriptures and beyond our limited human understanding. Only by letting go of everything we think we know, can we open to truth. This is beginner’s mind.
A contemporary Zen master, Shunryu Suzuki summed it up nicely when he said, “If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”