Of the same tradition as Hung Mung and Ho Chi Zen is Rabbi Koan, who brings to

Zenarchy the sect of Kosher Zen. For much of what Zen sages have called a special
transmission outside the scriptures of Buddhism, seems to hae been discovered in
dependently by the Hasidic Jews of Eastern Europe who study the oral traditions
of the Cabala.
As every reader of Martin Buber is already aware, the Hasidic Zen master, called
a Zaddik, is fond of telling all kinds of Kosher Zen stories.
For example, once such a Rabbi entered the sacred meeting house to find his disc
iples playing checkers. Ah, ha! he exclaimed. Do you know the rules to the game of
checkers? Too taken aback to answer, the young men maintained a guilty silence. S
o the Rabbi said: Very well, I will instruct you in the rules to checkers. The fi
rst rule is that you can only move forward. The second rule is that you can only
make one move at a time. And the third rule is that, upon reaching the back row
, you may move in any direction you wish!
Another Hasidic tale concerns a student who undertook a food and water fast for
one week. On his way to see the Rabbi on the last hour of his fast, he went by a
well. Overwhelmed by temptation, he drew a bucket of water. As his lips touched
the ladle, he decided that to yield to thirst would wipe out a week s work. So he
went off to the meeting house instead. When he entered the Rabbi looked at him
and said, Patchwork!