How does the man of Zen take his tea?

Question: BELOVED OSHO, HOW DOES THE MAN OF ZEN TAKE HIS TEA? For the man of Zen everything is sacred -- even taking a cup of tea. Whatever he does, he does as if he is in a holy space. There is a story about Moses. When he went on Mount Sinai to meet God and to receive the Ten Commandments, he saw a miracle happening: a green bush, lush green, and inside it a beautiful flame, fire. As he approached it somebody shouted from the bush, "Take your shoes off. This is holy ground." The Judaic interpretation is that the flame was God himself. That's why the bush was not burning, because God's fire is cool. And Moses unconsciously was entering into the area which was like a temple or a synagogue: the living God was there. He took his shoes off and went in.

Joshu, the zen master, asked a new monk in the monastery, "have I seen you before?" the new monk replied, "no sir." joshu said, "then have a cup of tea."

JOSHU THEN TURNED TO ANOTHER MONK, "HAVE I SEEN YOU HERE BEFORE? THE SECOND MONK SAID, "YES SIR, OF COURSE YOU HAVE." JOSHU SAID, "THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA." LATER THE MANAGING MONK OF THE MONASTERY ASKED JOSHU, "HOW IS IT YOU MAKE THE SAME OFFER OF TEA TO ANY REPLY?" AT THIS JOSHU SHOUTED, "MANAGER, ARE YOU STILL HERE?" THE MANAGER REPLIED, "OF COURSE, MASTER." JOSHU SAID, "THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA. The first thing to be understood is that complex things can be understood, simple things cannot. A simple thing is alone. This Joshu story is very simple. It is so simple it escapes you: you try to grip it, you try to grab it -- it escapes. It is so simple that your mind cannot work on it. Try to feel the story. I will not say try to understand because you cannot understand it…

Dogo had a disciple called soshin. When soshin was taken in as a novice, it was perhaps natural of him to expect lessons in zen from his teacher the way a schoolboy is taught at school. But dogo gave him no special lessons on the subject, and this bewildered and disappointed soshin.

ONE DAY HE SAID TO THE MASTER, "IT IS SOME TIME SINCE I CAME HERE, BUT NOT A WORD HAS BEEN GIVEN ME REGARDING THE ESSENCE OF THE ZEN TEACHING." DOGO REPLIED, "SINCE YOUR ARRIVAL I HAVE EVER BEEN GIVING YOU LESSONS ON THE MATTER OF ZEN DISCIPLINE." "WHAT KIND OF LESSON COULD IT HAVE BEEN?" "WHEN YOU BRING ME A CUP OF TEA IN THE MORNING, I TAKE IT; WHEN YOU SERVE ME A MEAL, I ACCEPT IT; WHEN YOU BOW TO ME, I RETURN IT WITH A NOD. HOW ELSE DO YOU EXPECT TO BE TAUGHT IN THE DISCIPLINE OF ZEN?" SOSHIN HUNG HIS HEAD FOR A WHILE, PONDERING THE PUZZLING WORDS OF THE MASTER. THE MASTER SAID, "IF YOU WANT TO SEE, SEE RIGHT AT ONCE. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO THINK, YOU MISS THE POINT." Then the physicians started thinking about it, how it happened. That's what…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, ON ONE OCCASION, AS JOSHU WAS RECEIVING NEW ARRIVALS IN HIS MONASTERY, HE ASKED ONE OF THEM, "HAVE YOU BEEN HERE BEFORE?" "YES," THE MONK REPLIED. "HELP YOURSELF TO A CUP OF TEA!" JOSHU SAID TO HIM. THEN HE TURNED TO ANOTHER NEW ARRIVAL AND SAID, "HAVE YOU BEEN HERE BEFORE?" "NO, YOUR REVERENCE," THE VISITOR REPLIED. "THIS IS MY FIRST VISIT HERE." JOSHU SAID TO HIM, "HELP YOURSELF TO A CUP OF TEA!" THE PRIOR OF THE MONASTERY TOOK JOSHU ASIDE AND SAID, "ONE HAD BEEN HERE BEFORE, AND YOU GAVE HIM A CUP OF TEA. THE OTHER HAD NOT BEEN HERE, AND YOU ALSO GAVE HIM A CUP OF TEA. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" JOSHU CALLED OUT LOUDLY, "PRIOR!" "YES?" THE PRIOR REPLIED. "HELP YOURSELF TO A CUP OF TEA!" INSTRUCTED JOSHU.

A master got up to address a group seeking enlightenment and had only this to say: 'ha! Ha! Ha! What's all this? Go to the back of the hall and have some tea.' he then got down and departed.

That which cannot be said should not be said at all. One should keep silent. That's what this master is doing -- without saying anything he is making a gesture. First he says, 'Ha! ha! ha!' -- he laughs, a belly laughter. It must have been a shock for those who had come to seek enlightenment. You don't expect that, that you will be taken so non-seriously. Enlightenment-seekers are very serious people, long-faced people. And here comes this man, stands there on the stage and says, 'Ha! ha! ha!' What kind of sermon is this? But it is a Zen sermon. He laughs at the absurdity that you are trying to seek enlightenment. It cannot be sought -- that's what he is saying. He is ridiculing them. He is saying, 'You are ridiculous! Ha! ha! ha! You are foolish, you are stupid. Enlightenment cannot be sought; it is not something…