Mazu's "Mind is Buddha"
A monk asked Mazu, "
What is Buddha?" Mazu replied,
"Mind is Buddha." Later, the same monk asked again, "What is Buddha?" Mazu said,
"No mind, no Buddha."
Reflection
Mazu's two answers – 'Mind is Buddha' and 'No mind, no Buddha' – are a classic one-two punch of Zen teaching. The first affirmation gives the student something to hold; the second negation takes it away. The progression prevents attachment to any formulation. The true teaching is in the movement between the two, not in either statement alone.