Zen Master Zhongxing served as an attendant to Zen Master Daowu. One day, while offering tea, Daowu pointed at the cup and asked, “Is this good or evil?”
Zhongxing stepped closer, facing his master in silence.
Daowu repeated, “Evil remains evil; good remains good.”
Zhongxing shook his head. “I disagree.”
“What is your view, then?” Daowu pressed.
Zhongxing snatched the cup from Daowu’s grasp and retorted loudly, “Good or evil?”
Daowu laughed heartily. “You are worthy to be my disciple!”
Zhongxing bowed deeply in reverence.
The Nature of Good and Evil
Daowu’s question revealed a profound truth: The essence of an act does not change based on the speaker’s virtue. Good words spoken by the wicked remain tainted; harsh truths from the virtuous may inspire. Some preach morality yet erode trust, while others, through bluntness, awaken wisdom. A skilled physician transforms poisons like arsenic into healing remedies. Thus, Daowu’s maxim holds: “Evil remains evil; good remains good”—not as rigid labels, but as reflections of intention and context.
Zhongxing’s Insight
Zhongxing understood that all phenomena arise from interdependent causes (pratītyasamutpāda). Recognizing this, one avoids attachment to fixed views; acting in harmony with conditions brings harmony. Conversely, clinging blindly to perceptions breeds suffering. His bold challenge to Daowu stemmed from this wisdom, and Daowu’s joyful approval revealed their silent rapport—a master-disciple exchange transcending words.
