Zuigan called out to himself every day: ‘Master.’
Then he answered himself: ‘Yes, sir.’
And after that he added: ‘Become sober.’
Again he answered: ‘Yes, sir.’
‘And after that,’ he continued, ‘do not be deceived by others.’
‘Yes, sir; yes, sir,’ he answered.
Mumon’s Comment: Old Zuigan sells out and buys himself. He is opening a puppet show. He uses one mask to call ‘Master’ and another that answers the master. Another mask says ‘Sober up’ and another, ‘Don’t be cheated by others.’
If anyone clings to any of his masks, he is mistaken, yet if he imitates Zuigan, he will make himself fox-like*.
Some Zen students do not realize the true man in a mask
Because they recognize ego-soul.
Ego-soul is the seed of birth and death,
And foolish people call it the true man.
My notes on this story:
This is from a book of Zen stories + koans called “The Gateless Gate”. They are written in a way that can sometimes be hard to understand because they are all aimed at helping to cut through the obstructions in your mind. They must be read and interpreted in a different way than if you are just reading in your typical way to accumulate knowledge.
The lesson in this one is that most people define themselves and act based upon the identity their ego has shaped and defined for themselves. Most people also are fooled into thinking that that is their true nature or who they actually are, when in fact it can just be seen as a buildup of concepts that obstructs their true nature.
Most people in life that you encounter have this buildup to differing degrees. Almost everyone I meet including myself has multiple struggles and challenges with their own ego and identity. Those who have sought out what is behind that and attempted to clear away this “buildup” are exceptionally (yet also relatively) self-aware.
*Foxes are mentioned often in Zen stories as it is a big part of Japanese culture. The way you can interpret its relevance to this story is that foxes often employ the ability to trick others; therefore if you imitate others you are merely just being deceptive.