Tso-ch'an After Enlightenment
　　  
　　　　  In the Sung Dynasty, Ch'ang-lu Tsung-tse  长芦宗
　　   颐 wrote the Tso-ch'an i 坐禅仪，The Manual of tso-ch'an.
　　   In it, he said that a person who has just experienced
　　   Buddha-nature should con-
　　　　　　
　　  
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　　   tinue to practice tso-ch'an. Then it is possible  to
　　   become like the dragon who gains the water, and   the
　　   tiger who enters the mountains. The   dragon  gaining
　　   the water returns to his ancestral home, and is free
　　   to dive as deep as he wishes. The tiger entering the
　　   mountain has no opposition; he may ascend the heights
　　   and roam wherever he wills. So Ch'ang-lu   is  saying
　　   that practicing tso-ch'an after enlightenment enhance
　　   and deepens one's realization.
　　　　  Yueh-shan　　 Wei-yen   药山惟俨   (745-828),   an
　　   enlightened  monk, was doing   tso-ch'an.  His master,
　　   Shih-t'ou  asked him, "What  are you doing  tso-ch'an
　　   for? " Yueh-shan answered, "Not for anything."  "That
　　   means  you are  sitting   idly", Shih-t'ou  continued.
　　   Yueh-shan  said, "If this is idle   sitting, then that
　　   would be for something."  The master then said, "What
　　   is it that  is not for anything?" The monk  answered,
　　   "A thousand sages won't know."
　　　　  On the one hand, we say that  persons  who  have
　　   had realization should do tso-ch'an to enhance their
　　   enlightenment;   on  the   other   hand,  we  say  the
　　   enlightened person sits without purpose.   What is the
　　   explanation? For the practitioner whose enlightenment
　　   is not deep, practice is necessary to deepen it;  for
　　   one who is deeply enlightened, practice   is just part
　　   of daily life.
　　　　  One day, when Ch'ao-chou was already  thoroughly
　　   enlightened and actively helping others, his tso-ch'
　　   an was interrupted by a visit from a prince. He   did
　　   not rise from his seat, explaining   himself  with  a
　　   verse:
　　　　  Ever since youth I have foregone meat. This body
　　   is now old. When visitors come, I have  no   strength
　　   to rise from the Buddha-seat.
　　　　  Later, when a messenger of the prince came, Chao
　　   -chou did rise from his seat to greet the man.   Chao
　　   chou's puzzled attendant asked him why he got up  for
　　   the man of lesser rank.
　　  
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　　   Chao-chou said, "When people of the first rank call,
　　   I receive them at my cushion. When the   second  rank