One of Goso's sermons in his old age.
"Yesterday I found a certain passage, and I wondered if I should bring it up before all of you. But as I am an old man I have forgotten the whole thing entirely. (For some time he remained silent, and then he continued) I have forgotten, I have forgotten. (Then he added) There is a Mahayana dharani named "The Wise Enlightening King"; if you recite it, you remember what you have forgotten. (Then he repeated) An-a-ro-roku-kei-sha-ba-ka. (Clapping his hands he laughed loudly and cried) I remember, I remember. "If you try to find a Buddha, you can never see him. If you search for a Patriarch, you will never meet him. The sweet melon is sweet to the root, the bitter melon is bitter to the root."
Introduction to Case XXXVI, Mumonkan, R.H. Blyth
This is lovely, another gift from Blyth who had such a wonderful library and such a good teacher.
It reminds me of a joke I heard once: An Irish comedian was talking about how he want to tell his father that he loved him, but he could not come out and say it. So he went out drinking with his father, and on their way home, when they were both very drunk, he mustered up all his courage and he said to his father, "There is something I want to say... Dad, I love you."
His father replied, "Well why wouldn't you?"
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