Apples and Oranges
One day Seung Sahn Soen-sa was sitting in the kitchen of the Providence Zen Center with some of his students. In the center of the table was a bowl filled with apples and oranges. He picked up an apple and said, "What is this?"
One student said, "Don't you know?"
Soen-sa said, "I'm asking you."
The student said, "It's an apple."
Soen-sa then picked up an orange and said, "This apple and this orange-are they the same or different?"
The student took the apple and bit into it.
Soen-sa said, "Does this apple have Buddha-nature?"
"No."
"Why not? The Buddha said that all things have Buddha-nature. You say that this apple doesn't have Buddha-nature. Which one is the truth?"
The student handed the apple to Soen-sa.
"I don't want this apple. Give me another answer."
"The apple is red."
Soen-sa said, "Before, I didn't know what color the apple was. But now that you tell me, I know that it is red."
