Gudo and the Emperor - Zen Story

Today we enter… Gudo and the Emperor.

This story wears no crown. No throne.Just the quiet confidence of one who bows… to no illusion.

Let’s walk beside it.

Let the Story Unfold

Gudo, a renowned Zen master, was invited to speak with the Emperor of Japan.

The Emperor asked,“What is the highest truth of Buddhism?”

Gudo bowed and replied,“Vast emptiness… and not a trace of holiness.”

The Emperor was startled.“If there’s no holiness,” he asked,“who or what are you?”

Gudo answered,“I do not know.”

Sit With the Meaning

Most people would perform.They’d craft the perfect answer.Especially in front of an emperor.

But not Gudo.

He bows —but not to power.

The Emperor asks for “highest truth.”And Gudo names it:Vast emptiness. Not a trace of holiness.

Not because nothing is sacred —but because everything is.And when everything is holy…nothing stands apart.

Even enlightenment isn’t an achievement.Even the self isn’t solid.

So when asked who he is…Gudo doesn’t reach for identity.He dwells in mystery.

Not as ignorance —but as freedom.

To say “I do not know”is not to be lost —but to be utterly found.

Turning Inward With Your Parts

• Is there a part of you that wants to be seen as wise, spiritual, or “together”?• What happens inside when you imagine saying, “I don’t know” — not as failure, but as peace?• Can you sense a part that’s still searching for something “holy”… instead of resting in what already is?• What shifts when you imagine bowing — not to someone else, but to the emptiness within?

Let Expression Rise

This is not a lesson.It’s an undoing.

Choose what feels most alive:

IFS Journaling — Write from the voice of the part that wants to impress, to be revered. What does it think “holiness” looks like? What does it long to become?IFS Parts Art — Draw “vast emptiness.” No rules. Let your parts show what it means — in shape, absence, or color.Somatic IFS — Stand. Bow slowly — not to anyone, but to the space around you. Whisper: “Not a trace of holiness.” Feel what remains.

And if none of these feel right…it’s perfectly okay to simply rest with the story.Let the silence do the holding.

Stay here with your parts as long as you like, and we’ll meet again in the next story.