The fourteenth-century Zen master Bassui was recognized as one of the most important Zen teachers of his time. Accessible and eloquent, these teachings cut to the heart of the great matter of Zen, pointing directly to the importance of seeing our own original nature and recognizing it as Buddhahood itself. Bassui is taking familiar concepts in Buddhism and recasting them in an essential Zen light.

Though he lived centuries ago in a culture vastly different from our own, Zen Master Bassui speaks with a voice that spans time and space to address our own modern challenges - in our lives and spiritual practice.

Like the revered Master Dogen several generations before him, Bassui was dissatisfied with what passed for Zen training, and taught a radically reenergized form of Zen, emphasizing deep and direct penetration into one's own true nature. And also like Dogen, Bassui uses powerful and often poetic language to take familiar Buddhist concepts recast them in a radically non-dual Zen light, making ancient doctrines vividly relevant.

This edition of Mud and Water contains several teachings never before translated.
Mud and Water , Translated by Arthur Braverman, Wisdom Publications, Paperback, 241 pages, $16.95

Bassui Tokusho: The fourteenth-century Zen master Bassui was recognized as one of the most important Zen teachers of his time. Accessible and eloquent, his teachings cut to the heart of the great matter of Zen, pointing directly to the importance of seeing our own original nature and recognizing it as Buddhahood itself. Bassui takes familiar concepts in Buddhism and recasting them in an essential Zen light.

Acknowledgments	xi
Preface to the New Edition	xiii
Introduction	1
Part I
Outside the Scriptures and Not through Words	27
Rinzai's Enlightenment	30
Ejo of Nangaku's Enlightenment	31
A True Teacher Must Have His Dharma Eye Opened	32
The Six Perfections are Seeing One's Buddha-Nature	34
The Six Supernatural Powers Are Seeing One's Nature	37
The Five Practices of the Lotus Sutra	42
Transcribing Sutras	46
The True Meaning of Burnt Offerings	47
The True Meaning of Fasting	48
Keeping the Precepts	49
The Bodhisattva Jizo	54
Karmic Affinity for the Way	58
Distinguishing between a Teacher of False Views and a True Teacher	62
The Sacred Bones of the Buddha	67
The Sole Practice of Zazen	69
Dharani is the Originally Enlightened True Nature	71
Part II
Amida Buddha and the Pure Land	75
Awakening Depends Only on Your Aspiration	84
On the Value of Knowledge	86
Know Your Inherent Nature Before Studying the Scriptures	89
Even Formal Practice Points to the Truth	91
The Meaning of Carving Buddha Images	93
On Letting Go of Belief in Phenomena	95
The True Meaning of the Four Gifts	98
On Reciting Sacred Prayers	101
On Praising the Buddha's Words	102
To Truly Read the Sutras First Open the Mind That Reads	104
Discourses Are Words Pointing to the Mind	107
There is No Buddha or Dharma outside of the One Mind	110
The Power of Kannon	113
The Wordless Sermon	116
The Meaning of Transmission	118
On Monks, Precepts, and Fiery Hells	119
If You Meditate on Emptiness, You Will Exhaust Delusion	126
Meditating on Emptiness	127
Record of My Reflections	128
The Eight Sects and One Mind	131
Part III
Distinguishing Right Views from Mistaken Ones	135
On Right Paths and Mistaken Paths	136
Misguided Students of the Way	139
What Is the Treasure House of the True Dharma Eye?	146
How to View the Sayings of the Ancestors	149
If You Want Enlightenment...	152
The Meaning of Looking at the Self With Hatred	153
On Expedient Means	156
That Which Hears the Dharma	159
What about You?	163
Which Means Is Better?	165
Living Words and Dead Words	167
Mud and Water Mixed Together	172
When It Is Cold, All Heaven and Earth Are Cold	173
Evil Thoughts Are Born of Delusion	174
Heretical Views of Nonexistence, Constancy, and Naturalism	176
The Title	179
Part IV
Question Your Mind	183
To a Man from Kumasaka	188
To the Abbess of Jinryoji Temple	190
To Gesso Seiko, Lord of Aki, from Nakamura	196
To a Dying Man	200
To Layman Ippo Honma Shogen	201
To a Zen Student	207
To the Venerable Gekokaku	208
To the Zen Priest Soku Hoju	209
To the Venerable Tsubaki Anshu regarding Practice in a Hermitage	210
To the Temple Kanin: Shun of Tetsuyo	211
To the Scribe Kozan Hogi	212
A Response to an Urgent Request from the Head of Shobo Hermitage	214
Notes	217
Index	235