Zen Garden and No Zen Garden: A Bibliographic Essay

Glenn Masuchika is Information Literacy Librarian at Pennsylvania State University Libraries in University Park, Pennsylvania. Zen Garden and No Zen Garden: a Bibliographic Essay By Glenn Masuchika A Zen master and a young monk sit before a Zen garden. The Zen master asks the young monk, “What do you see?” Puzzled, the young monk answers plainly, “A garden.” The master asks again, “What do you see?” The young monk looks at the small landscape before them and answers, “Rocks and gravel.” The master asks again, “What do you see?” Thinking deeper, the young monk answers, “Boulders in a river.” “What do you see?” the master asks again. Thinking ever deeper, the young monk replies, “I see, islands in a sea.” “What do you see?” the master asks again. “I see, mountaintops above the clouds.” “What do you see?” “I see, planets and stars in space.” “What do you see?” “I see, Gods and Buddhas in heaven.” “What do you see?” “I see, infinities in infinity.” “Baka! (fool!),” the Zen master shouts, slapping the young monk on his head. “No rocks! no gravel!” And another slap to his head. “And no garden!”