Tozan answered, “From Sato!”
Then Ummon asked, “Where were you then during the Summer?”
Tozan answered, “At Hoji Temple in Konan Province.”
Ummon further asked Tozan, “When did you leave there?”
Tozan replied, “I left on August 25.”
Un-mon told Tozan, “You deserve 60 blows, but I will forgive you today!”
The next day Tozan knelt and deeply bowed to Ummon and said, “Yesterday you forgave me the 60 blows, but I still do not understand in what respect I was wrong.”
Then Un mon told Tozan, “You are really a good-for-nothing rice eater! No wonder you wandered around Konan and Kosei for nothing!”
At this very moment, Tozan was awakened.
Tozan answered, “At Hoji Temple in Konan Province.”
Ummon further asked Tozan, “When did you leave there?”
Tozan replied, “I left on August 25.”
Un-mon told Tozan, “You deserve 60 blows, but I will forgive you today!”
The next day Tozan knelt and deeply bowed to Ummon and said, “Yesterday you forgave me the 60 blows, but I still do not understand in what respect I was wrong.”
Then Un mon told Tozan, “You are really a good-for-nothing rice eater! No wonder you wandered around Konan and Kosei for nothing!”
At this very moment, Tozan was awakened.
Perhaps more to be experienced, than explained. When I was a brown belt, my instructor was then a 3rd dan, Never once sparring (which was every class) could I touch him, and he could crawl over me at will. After I reached shodan he had to return to the USAF. A year later we saw each other again. And of course we sparred, He really not experienced that I had improved. When we began, I backfisted his nose one time. Of course after that he worked me over. Never again did he give me the chance to strike him again. But as I look back at it, receiving all those blows was the best training I ever had.
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