By Ann
Ann shared a talk by Genjo Roshi of Chobo-Ji. In his podcast, he shared a teaching from the first case of the Hekigan Roku, exploring the encounter between Emperor Wu and Bodhidharma. This timeless exchange offers profound insights into the heart of Zen practice.
Roshi begins by setting the scene, it’s very famous story about Bodhidharma coming all the way from India, late in his years, probably in his 80s, 70s or 80s, and making a very arduous trip across mountains and land and water to reach China.
Emperor Wu, a student of Buddhism, seeks to understand the “first principle of the holy teachings.” He’s expecting a scholarly discourse, a detailed explanation. Instead, Bodhidharma offers a concise and potent response: “Emptiness, no holiness.”
The Emperor, accustomed to elaborate teachings, is taken aback. He’s looking for something concrete, something to grasp. Bodhidharma’s answer points to something far more fundamental: the boundless, formless nature of reality.
The Emperor, unsatisfied, presses further: “Who is standing here before me?” Bodhidharma replies, “No knowing.”
This “no knowing” isn’t ignorance. It’s an invitation to let go of fixed ideas, to release the need to define and categorize. It’s a doorway to experiencing the vastness of our true nature, which extends far beyond the limited construct of the self.
Hakone Zendo 