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The Magical Effect of Doing Nothing

MASTER Tao Shu was an adherent of the Northern school of Ch'an, founded by Shen Hsiu. Once, he and a group of disciples went on a retreat to the mountains to practice Ch'an in solitude.

A mischievous spirit began to taunt them day and night, variously appearing as a filthy beggar, or assuming the aspect of Buddhas or bodhisattvas or monks, or producing magical lights or sounds. The young monks were frightened nearly out of their wits because of the extreme nature of many of its demonic antics. But one morning, after ten years of its tricks, the spirit suddenly disappeared once and for all.

"This juggler did many of his tricks in order to purposely delude our minds," explained the master. "There was only one resort against the demon's tricks—the way of doing nothing. This means nothing to see, nothing to hear. Even myriad tricks must eventually be exhausted, but as to the method of doing nothing itself—it is boundless and can be employed forever!"

Commentary: If Tao Shu had tried to defend himself against the demon's tricks by resorting to his own skills of transformation, it would probably have resulted in an endless battle between two magicians. Only by adherence to doing nothing did it become possible to overcome the demon, negating its skill. In fact, the method of doing nothing can produce something everlasting, in full accordance with Lao Tzu's teaching that nonexistent produces existent. Everything has its limits, even the largest and strongest things are not immortal. As for nothing, it is unlimited because it is unformed, and owing to this fact, it can be used universally. In the Ch'an mind, it is just so with "emptiness," which proves to be the most useful and meaningful among the True things.