Hua-Tu

Hi, in Chan Buddhism there is a Hua-Tu, it is what you think BEFORE your thought. There are many, “Who is the repeater of the Buddha’s name?” “Who is dragging this corpse here?”(bizarre!!! Lol!) mine, that I like to sing as a mantra instead of saying it once and delving into the depths of my psyche in Hua-Tu practice is “Who is the singer of the Buddha’s mind?” I like this mantra, it resembles a koan to me, but there is no answer for this koan right? Except of course my name, then what was I called before my mother was born? And this sort of thing. But ya, I may of mentionned already that my nickname on the street, mostly in Montreal, was Buddha, what the????? Blew my mind! Everyone saw me in zazen nodding off, attempting to reach enlightenment down in the Old-Port near the hauntingly beautiful clock tower, where the St-Lawrence Seaway rolls past in super spate. So, some students loved what they saw and called it out and the street dudes loved it too, and it stuck.

But ya, there was this guy we called Le Maitre De La Maison, the master of the house, and this dude would, out of nowhere yell out “Qui est le maitre de la maison?????” And we’d all trip out and look around and smile and laugh. I thought he was nuts, but Bingo Bango!!!! He was yelling a Hua-Tu you see. I heard him one day while rushing up St-Laurent St. up China Town, I passed him and he yelled it at me, then it dawned on me of course, and right there we were in agreement! So then, we’d run into each other and trip out. I followed him once downtown in jest, and he sped up THEN disappeared, only to find him half a block back peeping out of a doorway grinning at me. Once while in profound meditation near the train tracks that cross the pleasant grounds of the old port, I felt a presence and opened my eyes and it was Le Maitre, hyperventilating to my right, checking me out, I yelled, as he got up and ran, “Tu dois etre impenetrable!!!!!” You must be impenetrable. Anyways, it was this sort of thing, it was crazy! But quite an adventure! One morning at the shelter Bonne Eau, he was sitting there, we all were, and someone asked him to please yell his words….alas Le Maitre answered sadly “Il n’y a plus de Maitre De La Maison” I could not believe it!!!!! What a loss!!!!!

There was also Zoo! A huge fella who would jump, from foot to foot, but very slowly, up and down the grub line at the Old Brewery Mission. It was wild. It looked, and we were—OUT THERE—. I’ll never forget the look of the place, although I cannot for the life of me remember all those emotions, which is probably a good thing because what the hell right? I’d be going berzerk right now I think lol. But staying out there for too long can cook anybody. I’m thankful I asked for help from the socialworkers at the Sally Anne and Sheps and got my id, bank account, AND housing! But ya, I have many stories now, now that I’m older I can recount them.

Lol!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. There is a lovely skating rink in the old port! Really nice to be abouts! Man! I miss Montreal Qc. right now! But I’ll cough in a bit.

😄👍