Chao-Chou (Joshu in Japanese), a famous Zen master, was frequently asked, "Is it true that even a dog has the Buddha-nature?" the implication of the question being that if such an exalted being as man has the pure, all-embracing Buddha-nature, how can such a lowly creature as a dog also have it? To this question Chao-Chou sometimes answered, "No, it hasn't" (Mu in Japanese, Wu in Chinese), and at other times, "Yes, it has." The questioners may have been genuinely puzzled by the statement in the sutras to the effect that all beings possess the Buddha-nature, or they may have been feigning ignorance in order to see how Chao-Chou would respond. Since Buddha-nature is common to all existence, logically either answer makes no sense. But more than logic is involved here. So what is Chao-Chou up to? Is he flouting the logic of language to show the monks that absolute truth lies beyond affirmation and negation, or is he, by the manner in which he utters "Yes!" or "No!" actually thrusting this Buddha-nature at his questioners?
---Philip Kapleau---
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