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EDITOR ' s INTRODUCTION 1 157At all events, we do know that Bassui had his head shaved attwenty-nine, symbolizing his initiation into the Buddhist monkhood.For the ceremonial rites of a monk or priest, however, he had littleuse, believing that a monk should live a simple life dedicated to attainingthe highest truth so as to lead others to liberation, and notengage in ceremony and luxurious living, not to mention politicalintrigue, to which the priesthood of his day was only too prone.On his numerous pilgrimages he stubbornly refused to remaineven overnight in a temple, but insisted on staying in some isolatedhut high up on a hill or mountain, where he would sit hour afterhour doing zazen away from the distractions of the temple. To stayawake he would often climb a tree, perch among the branches, anddeeply ponder his natural koan, "Who is the master?" far into thenight, oblivious to wind and rain. In the morning, with virtually nosleep or food, he would go to the temple or monastery for an interviewwith the master.So strong was Bassui' s distaste for the ceremonialism of the templethat many years later, after he had become master of Kogaku-ji,1 healways insisted on calling it Kogaku-an instead, the suffix -an meaning"hermitage" as opposed to the more grandiose -ji meaning"1 " u "temp e or monastery.In the course of his spiritual journeys Bassui eventually met theZen master through whom his Mind's eye was to be cQmpletdyopened-Koho-zenji, a great Zen roshi of his day. The lesser mastersfrom whom Bassui had sought guidance had all sanctioned his enlightenment,but Koho, sensing Bassui' s keen, sensitive mind and thestrength and purity of his yearning for truth, did not give him hisstamp of approval but merely invited him to remain. On his part,Bassui recognized in Koho a great roshi but declined to stay in his.temple, taking a solitary hut in the nearby hills and for the next monthcoming daily to see Koho.One day Koho, sensing the ripeness of Bassui's mind, asked him:"Tell me, what is Joshu's Mu?" Bassui replied with a verse:Mountains and riversGrass and treesEqually manifest Mu.1 Lit., "Monastery Facing the Mountain," i.e., Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is symbolicofTrue-mind, so Kogaku-ji connotes grappling with one's True-mind.