A monk asked to Joshu. "Does even a dog have Buddha-nature?
This question is done on the basis of intellect, and so it belongs to the area of an idealistic view.
Joshu replied, "Mu."
This answer was done on the basis of materialistic fact that a dog is an accumulation of body cells,
and so there is no Buddha-nature.
The monk asked, "All living beings have Buddha-nature, but why does not a dog have
Buddha-nature. ?
The question has become much more real than before, therefore the question is discussed on a
concrete situation of dog. Therefore the question belongs to a realistic viewpoint.
Joshu answered, " Becuse a dog has its consciousness, which has been accumulated by its conduct
in the past.
This answer desribes a realistic condition of a dog, which transcend an intellectual interpretation and
material fact.
