Zen Moment

Eating the Blame

Circumstances arose one day which delayed preparation of the dinner of a Soto Zen master, Fugai, and his followers. In haste the cook went to the garden and cut off the tops of green vegetables, chopped them together, and made soup, unaware that he had included part of a snake in the vegetables.

The followers of Fugai thought they had never tasted such good soup. But when the master himself found the snake's head in his bowl, he summoned the cook. "What is this?" he demanded, holding up the head of the snake.

"Oh, thank you, master," replied the cook, taking the morsel and eating it quickly.

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones