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| image from: www.dragosroua.com |
Gudo was the emperor’s teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his was to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and a heavy rain was falling. Gudo was thoroughly wet. His straw sandals were in pieces. At a farmhouse near the village he noticed four or five pairs of sandals in the window and decided to buy some dry ones.
The woman who offered him the sandals, seeing how wet he was, invited him in to remain for the night at her home. Gudo accepted, thanking her. He entered and recited a sutra before the family shrine. He then was introduced to the woman’s mother, and to her children. Observing that the entire family was depressed, Gudo asked what was wrong.
“My husband is a gambler and a drunkard,” the housewife told him. “When he happens to win he drinks and becomes abusive. When he loses he borrows money from others. Sometimes when he becomes thoroughly drunk he does not come home at all. What can I do?”
I will help him,” said Gudo. “Here is some money. Get me a gallon of fine wine and something good to eat. Then you may retire. I will meditate before the shrine.”
When the man of the house returned about midnight, quite drunk, he bellowed: “Hey, wife, I am home. Have you something for me to eat?”
“I have something for you.” said Gudo. “I happened to get caught in the rain and your wife kindly asked me to remain here for the night. In return I have bought some wine and fish, so you might as well have them.”
The man was delighted. He drank the wine at once and laid himself down on the floor. Gudo sat in meditation beside him.
In the morning when the husband awoke he had forgotten about the previous night. “Who are you? Where do you come from?” he asked Gudo, who still was meditating.
“I am Gudo of Kyoto and I am going on to Edo,” replied the Zen master.
The man was utterly ashamed. He apologized profusely to the teacher of his emperor.
Gudo smiled. “Everything in this life is impermanent,” he explained. “Life is very brief. If you keep on gambling and drinking, you will have no time left to accomplish anything else, and you will cause your family to suffer too.”
The perception of the husband awoke as if from a dream. “You are right,” he declared. “How can I ever repay you for this wonderful teaching! Let me see you off and carry your things a little way.”
“If you wish,” assented Gudo.
The two started out. After they had gone three miles Gudo told him to return. “Just another five miles,” he begged Gudo. They continued on.
“You may return now,” suggested Gudo.
“After another ten miles,” the man replied.
“Return now,” said Gudo, when the ten miles had been passed.
“I am going to follow you all the rest of my life,” declared the man.
Modern Zen teachers in Japan spring from the lineage of a famous master who was the successor of Gudo. His name was Mu-nan, the man who never turned back.
(Nyogen Senzaki & Paul Reps, "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones")
Menemukan Permata Di Jalan Berlumpur
Gudo adalah guru kaisar pada waktu itu. Namun demikian, dia biasa melakukan perjalanan seorang diri seperti layaknya seorang musafir yang berkelana. Suatu kali ketika dalam perjalanan menuju Edo, pusat kebudayaan dan politik keshogunan, dia singgah di sebuah desa kecil bernama Takenaka. Pada saat itu sudah malam dan hujan deras. Gudo basah kuyup dan sandal jeraminya rusak. Di sebuah rumah pertani dia melihat 4 atau 5 pasang sandal di jendela dan dia memutuskan untuk membeli beberapa buah yang kering.
Wanita yang menawarkannya sandal, melihatnya basah kuyup, lalu mengundangnya untuk bermalam. Gudo menerima, dan mengucapkan terima kasih. Dia masuk dan melafalkan sutra di depan altar keluarga. Kemudian dia diperkenalkan kepada ibunda wanita itu dan juga anak-anaknya. Mengamati seluruh anggota keluarga yang kelihatan tertekan, Gudo menanyakan apa penyebabnya.
"Suamiku adalah penjudi dan pemabuk", wanita itu berkata. "Bila menang dia mabuk dan menjadi kasar. Bila kalah dia meminjam uang dari orang lain. Kadang-kadang bila dia mabuk berat, dia tidak pulang. Apa yang dapat saya lakukan?"
"Saya akan menolongnya", kata Gudo. "Gunakan uang ini untuk membeli segallon anggur yang baik dan makanan yang enak. Lalu beristirahatlah kalian. Saya akan bermeditasi di depan altar."
Pada tengah malam, si suami pulang dalam keadaan sangat mabuk. Dia melenguh, "Hei, istri, saya pulang. Apakah ada makanan?"
"Saya punya sesuatu untukmu", kata Gudo. "Saya terjebak hujan dan istrimu membolehkan saya untuk bermalam. Saya belikan anggur dan ikan, silakan dinikmati."
Esok paginya ketika si suami terbangun dan dia lupa tentang kejadian semalam. "Siapa kamu? Dari mana kamu berasal?" dia bertanya kepada Gudo yang masih bermeditasi.
"Saya Gudo dari Kyoto sedang melakukan perjalanan menuju Edo", guru Zen itu menjawab
Pria itu merasa sangat malu. Dia minta maaf yang sedalam-dalamnya kepada guru kaisar.
Gudo tersenyum. "Segala hal dalam hidup ini tidak kekal"' dia menjelaskan. "Hidup berlangsung sangat singkat. Jika kamu tetap berjudi dan mabuk, kamu tidak akan punya waktu untuk mengerjakan yang lain, dan menyebabkan keluargamu juga menderita."
Persepsi pria itu terbangun dari mimpinya. "Kamu benar", dia menegaskan. "Bagaimana saya bisa membalas ajaran luhur yang telah kau berikan padaku? Saya akan mengantarmu dan membawakan perbekalanmu sedikit perjalanan ke depan.
"Silakan jika kau mau", jawab Gudo
Keduanya mulai berjalan. Setelah menempuh 3 mil, Gudo menyuruhnya untuk kembali. "Lima mil lagi", dia memohon. Lalu mereka melanjutkan perjalanan.
"Kamu boleh kembali sekarang", kata Gudo
"Nanti setelah 10 mil lagi", jawab pria itu.
"Kembalilah sekarang", kata Gudo setelah 10 mil kemudian.
"Saya akan mengikutimu sepanjang sisa hidupku"' seru pria itu.
Guru Zen moderen di Jepang muncul dari silsilah guru terkenal yang menjadi penerus Gudo. Ia bernama Mu-nan, pria yang tidak pernah berbalik kembali.
(Nyogen Senzaki & Paul Reps, "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones")
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