The Following Zen Story Illustrates this Integration of the Functions.
Time
for a story…
Tsu Hsia asked the Master:
‘What sort of a man is Yen Hui?’
Master:
‘For kindness he is a better man than I am.’
Tsu Hsia:
‘What about Tsu Kung?’
Master:
‘For eloquence he is a better man than I am’
Tsu Hsia:
‘Tsu Lu?’
Master:
‘For courage he is a better man than I am’
Tsu Hsia:
‘How about Tsu Chang?’
Master:
‘For dignity he is a better man than I am’
Tsu Hsia
rose from the mat and asked:
‘Then why do these four serve you?’
The Master smiled and replied:
"Sit down Tsu Hsia and I will tell you…
"My virtue is the Mastery of the functions."
- Yen Hui can be kind but cannot check the impulse when it will do no good.
- Tsu Kung can be eloquent but cannot hold his tongue.
- Tsu Lu can be brave but cannot be cautious.
- Tsu Chang can be dignified but cannot unbend in company.
Even if I have the virtues of all the four men together, I would be unwilling to exchange them for my own.
My virtue is the Mastery of the functions. The ability to stop as well as to start each function.
That is why they serve me without misgiving."
…END
Karl Popper, the famous philosopher of science, stated that in order for science to be able to prove a theory, one must be able to perform an experiment, which could potentially disprove that theory.
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Karl Popper.
"To have power one must be able to stop the source of that power."
The Master in the story, like all Buddhas, demonstrates his integration of all the functions, real intelligence and not just one-sided functionality. The reason why he is a Master. The message is that the master is not attached to any one talent, any one function, and therefore can stop any function at will. He can stop his mind, his emotions, his spirit or any of the talents above.
This is true mastery.
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