Shoun became a teacher of Soto Zen at a very young age. He was a brilliant student and started teaching from a young age. His father passed away when he was still a student,leaving him to take care of his old mother.
Whenever Shoun went to a meditation hall he always took his mother with him. Since she accompanied him everywhere,he could not live with the monks in the monestries, so he built a little house and took care of her needs. He would copy the Sutras and Buddhist verses to make a little money to provide his mother with food.
When Shoun used to buy fish for his mother, the people passing him would scoff and insult him, for a monk is not supposed to be a vegetarian. But Shoun did not mind the people's misunderstanding, he kept doing what he did. But his mother felt very bad when people laughed at her son beacuse of her.
So one day, she couldnt take anymore of what people spoke about her son. She decided to become a monk herself. She spoke to her son and became a monk. Therafter, both Shoun and his mother would study together.
Shoun was very fond of music and was a master of the harp. Both mother and son would play the harp every full moon night. One night a young lady while passing by their house heard the music and was deeply touched. She invited Shoun to visit her the next evening and play for her. He accepted the invitation and played for her.
A few days later he met the same young lady on the street and thanked her for her hospitality. The people who heard this conversation started laughing at him because she was a woman of the streets. This didnt bother Shoun one bit.
Shoun used to go to far away temples to deliver his lectures. During one such trip, when he returned home after a few months he discovered that his mother had passed away and the funeral was in progress without him. Since no one knew his whereabouts, they couldnt inform him about his mother passing away.
Shoun calmly walked up to the coffin and hit it with his staff and said "Mother, your son has returned" He then replied on his mother's behalf "I am glad to see you have returned, son." Shaoun then said "Yes, I am glad too." Then he announced to the people gathered around that the funeral ceremoney is over and the body may be burried.
Shoun knew when his end was approaching. He asked his disciples to gather around him one morning and told them that he was going to pass away at noon. He sat down before a picture of his mother and his teacher. With burning incense he wrote the following poem:
"For fifty-six years
I lived as best I could,
Making my way in this world.
Now the rain has ended,
the clouds are clearing,
The blue sky has a full moon."
Then he passed away during the invocation with his disciples reciting the sutras around him.
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