Banzan's "Turtle-Nosed Snake"
Banzan was walking through a market. He overheard a customer say to the butcher, "
Give me the best piece of meat you have." The butcher replied,
"Everything in my shop is the best.
There is nothing here that is not the best." At these words, Banzan attained enlightenment.
Reflection
Banzan's enlightenment at the butcher's words – 'Everything in my shop is the best' – is a sudden realization of non-discriminatory wisdom. The butcher's casual statement is a profound teaching: there is nothing that is not the best, no hierarchy of value in the absolute sense. Banzan's awakening shows that everyday conversations can transmit the Dharma when one is ready to hear it.