Case 55: Dogo's Condolence Visit

Dogo and Zengen came to a house to express condolences. Zengen tapped on the
coffin and said,
   "Is this life or death?" 
Dogo said,
   "I don't say life, I don't say death."
Zengen said, 
   "Why don't you?"
Dogo said,
   "I won't say, I won't say."

On the way back Zengen said,
   "Master, please say it to me right away. If you don't, I shall hit you."
Dogo said,
   "If you want to hit me, you can hit me. But I will never say."
Thereupon Zengen hit him.

Some time later Dogo passed away. Zengen went to Sekiso and told him what
had happened. Sekiso said,
   "I don't say life, I don't say death."
Zengen said,
   "Why don't you?"
Sekiso said,
   "I won't say, I won't say."
With these words, Zengen came suddenly to an insight.

One day, Zengen took a hoe and walked in the Dharma-hall from east to west and
west to east. Sekiso said, 
   "What are you doing?"
Zengen said,
   "I am seeking the sacred bones of the late master."
Sekiso said,
   "Giant billows far and wide; whitecaps swelling up to heaven. What
    sort of sacred bones of your late master are you searching for?"
   (Setcho commented, "Heavens! heavens!")
Zengen said, 
   "That was very good for me in order to gain power."
Taigen Fu [1] said,
   "The sacred bones of the late master are still there."

[1]: He stood in the Dharma line of Seppo.