Deuter Comments:
'One of my favorite Zen stories is the one about Tozan weighing flax: The Master Tozan was weighing some flax in the storeroom. A monk came up to him and asked: 'What is Buddha?' Tozan said, 'This flax weighs five pounds.'
'This little but potent story, awakened me one day to a deeper understanding of Buddha nature and a sudden seeing that everything I was always searching for is already happening, right now, in this moment. It gave me a glimpse of the incredible mystery of life and our existence.
'Today, Tozan would probably not be weighing flax but maybe changing the oil in his motorbike, reading e-mail, or playing the flute. And his answer would be different, according to the moment.
'Because it is the quality of being present to this very moment that is Buddha nature. Not having one's mind travel into the past or future, but relaxing into what is, non-doing an learning to enjoy one's being.'