Uteki Asks What Buddha Is

Uteki, the premier, asked Master Dotsu, "What is Buddha?" The Master called abruptly, "Your Excellency!" "Yes," the premier responded without thinking. Then the Master said, "What else do you search for?"

Everyone wants to know what Buddha (life's reality) is. It is natural to ask such a question. But the explained Buddha is not the real Buddha. Premier Uteki must have asked this same question of many different teachers. He was looking for fish in the tree tops. But when Master Dotsu abruptly called, "Your Excellency!" and Uteki immediately answered, "Yes," that was the most natural, immedate, and innocent. There was no conceptualised person or artificial answer. Buddha is one who lives life. Clinging to words or concepts is like holding onto a string of beads - after all the beads have slipped away.