Stories

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:31:19

Full Awareness
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 After ten years of apprenticeship, Tenno achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in, the master greeted him with a question, "Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?"
 
 "Yes," Tenno replied.
 
 "Tell me," the master continued, "did you place your umbrella to the left of your shoes, or to the right?"
 
 Tenno did not know the answer, and realized that he had not yet attained full awareness. So he became Nan-in's apprentice and studied under him for ten more years.
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "Just goes to show you how little we pay attention to the things we do."
 
 "This story makes me realize how much of my time is wasted by paying little attention to what I am doing at each moment. I'm either focused on the past or future and am not aware of what I'm doing."
 
 "Do we remember EVERY detail of our day?! Is it possible to be aware at all times?"
 
 "Full awareness includes even the most insignificant things?... Very odd."
 
 "It's funny how people do things without realizing that they're doing them. I'm a cashier at a convenience store, and when I ask people what kind of sandwich they bought, they forget and have to look down to read the wrapper."
 
 "Full awareness or great retention? Awareness should flow and not get caught up in what flows through it. Memory isn't attention. Doesn't it involve getting caught up in the flow?"
 
 "How many experiences do we let slip by us in life? It's scary to think about."
 
 "Sometimes we may think we know or are aware of everything, but someone else comes along to show us that we still have much to learn."
 
 "No matter how much you know, there is always someone who can teach you more."
 
 "Whenever you are absolutely sure you are doing something right, it turns out that you are going about it entirely the wrong way."
 
 "This story is not inspiring! He's not aware of where he put his umbrella, so he lacks full awareness?! Maybe he was just focused on other things at the time!"
 
 "I felt very frustrated and sorry for Tenno. He feels he has been wasting his time, so he has to study for another 10 years."
 
 "I think it sucks that the poor dude has to study for another 10 years. Of course, these are dedicated people, so it's probably good for them."
 
 "It's my opinion that an adult can never obtain full awareness, unless He or She is reared from parents with this developed state of mind. Maybe I'll give it a try after I get back from the shopping mall. Ha!"
 
 "He really must have felt he was wrong in his forgetfulness if he was willing to lower himself and study for another ten years!"
 
 "I think this story is a spoof of Zen practice. People take it too seriously."
 
 
 Tea or Iron
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 The Zen master Hakuin used to tell his students about an old woman who owned a tea shop in the village. She was skilled in the tea ceremony, Hakuin said, and her understanding of Zen was superb. Many students wondered about this and went to the village themselves to check her out. Whenever the old woman saw them coming, she could tell immediately whether they had come to experience the tea, or to probe her grasp of Zen. Those wanting tea she served graciously. For the others wanting to learn about her Zen knowledge, she hid until they approached her door and then attacked them with a fire poker. Only one out of ten managed to escape her beating.
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "I guess if you really want to understand Zen, you better be very alert!"
 
 "There's more to learn about Zen from drinking tea, than discussing it."
 
 "Maybe there's something important to learn about Zen by being whacked with a poker... beats me what it is, though."
 
 "People often have ulterior motives - sometimes good, sometimes bad."
 
 "The old woman didn't like nosy people, did she?"
 
 "The woman wanted company, not people looking to believe in something."
 
 "We look to others not for who they are and to truly experience their talents and abilities, but often 'to get what we can' out of them.... I would probably have been attacked with the poker, unfortunately."
 
 "She didn't like being used for her knowledge of Zen. Maybe that's what she was trying to convey to the students. You can't take Zen from someone else."
 
 "The old woman's lesson is very evil."
 
 "She was a strong woman, for keeping her secret."
 
 "The tea represents good, and Zen represents evil. People are forever faced with this choice. I think she used the poker to persuade people to want the tea."
 
 "Why wouldn't she want to tell people about Zen? Why be so violent and secretive?"
 
 "This reminds me of fairy tales where there is a wicked old woman. It's just another story that portrays women in a negative light."
 
 "All your possessions can be taken from you, but they can never steal your knowledge."
 
 "I don't get this one..... I REALLY don't get it!"
 
 
 Learning the Hard Way
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 The son of a master thief asked his father to teach him the secrets of the trade. The old thief agreed and that night took his son to burglarize a large house. While the family was asleep, he silently led his young apprentice into a room that contained a clothes closet. The father told his son to go into the closet to pick out some clothes. When he did, his father quickly shut the door and locked him in. Then he went back outside, knocked loudly on the front door, thereby waking the family, and quickly slipped away before anyone saw him. Hours later, his son returned home, bedraggled and exhausted. "Father," he cried angrily, "Why did you lock me in that closet? If I hadn't been made desperate by my fear of getting caught, I never would have escaped. It took all my ingenuity to get out!" The old thief smiled. "Son, you have had your first lesson in the art of burglary."
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "This is the sink-or-swim method of teaching someone. In the face of fear, people do things they never thought possible. People are a lot stronger than they give themselves credit for."
 
 "A challenge brings out the most in a man."
 
 "Your mind works best and fastest when you have your back to the wall. It's the old fight-or-flight response. It's basic instinct."
 
 "This is how I learned to speak English. As a five year old, I found myself in a class where everyone spoke English except me. Had I just tried to learn English on my own, I would never have learned as fast. This is why foreign language courses in this country are unsuccessful."
 
 "The best way to respect and appreciate what one has accomplished is by learning it the hard way and doing it on one's own."
 
 "There is, of course, no better way to teach than to force one to teach oneself."
 
 "When we learn from a master, we learn by imitation. When we learn on our own, we REALLY learn."
 
 "In some lifestyles a man has to stand on his own. Even his own father may not be there to help him."
 
 "When my cousin was learning to skate, she first practiced falling down so she would know how to do it and what it felt like BEFORE it happened for real."
 
 "Just like everything else in life, the only way to really understand the situation is to be in it. Experience is the best teacher."
 
 "I agree that the ' best' way to learn is sometimes by experience. But NOT ALWAYS. I know that I have changed greatly by watching other people suffer."
 
 "To be a thief, or for that matter in almost any profession, you have to be ready for the unexpected and always on-guard."
 
 "To do something at its best, you have to be able to accomplish it against all odds."
 
 "A lesson about survival is always valuable."
 
 "In the future, this boy will either be confident about escaping, or hesitant that he may not be that lucky again."
 
 "The father taught him about his deepest fears. When a person lives through their worst fear, it doesn't frighten them as much anymore."
 
 "His father put his son into a worst case scenario in which he would either break down and never want to burglarize a house again, or feel confident that burglary was the career for him."
 
 "I dislike the fact that this story is about burglary. It's a crime and shouldn't be romanticized."
 
 "This is not the kind of thing a father should be teaching a son. I would think twice about entering a life of crime."
 
 "At first I thought the father was trying to dissuade the son from following in his footsteps by wanting him to get caught and face the consequences."
 
 "He locked the son in to make him think about whether he really wanted to learn the secrets of the trade."
 
 "I don't see any strong family bonds here!"
 
 "What would have happened had the son been caught? The father should want more for his son than a life in prison. He should be teaching his son why this is the wrong way to live!"
 
 "I see a very selfish man, raising the next generation of fool. He is neither a teacher or Father."

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:33:35

Practice Makes Perfect
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A dramatic ballad singer studied under a strict teacher who insisted that he rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song, without being permitted to go any further. Finally, overwhelmed by frustration and despair, the young man ran off to find another profession. One night, stopping at an inn, he stumbled upon a recitation contest. Having nothing to lose, he entered the competition and, of course, sang the one passage that he knew so well. When he had finished, the sponsor of the contest highly praised his performance. Despite the student's embarrassed objections, the sponsor refused to believe that he had just heard a beginner perform. "Tell me," the sponsor said, "who is your instructor? He must be a great master." The student later became known as the great performer Koshiji.
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "Hard work will always pay off sometime in the future. I can see myself telling this story to someone who wants to quit something before they've really gotten into it."
 
 "You can always take your abilities one step further, one inch closer to perfection.We should never be satisfied with a good or even a great performance. Let's be patient and strive for ultimate perfection, no matter what the cost."
 
 "I can relate to this. I play golf. If you can develop an incredibly good short game, your performance on all 18 holes will improve greatly. It's also important to have one really impressive skill because it gives you the confidence to tackle other skills."
 
 "He practiced so much that it became part of him. To really master something, it has to become part of you."
 
 "People sometimes spread themselves too thin by trying to do too many things at once. You have to master one thing at a time. That builds a solid foundation that you can then build on."
 
 "This reminds me of studying philosophy. You have to intensely study one small portion, master it, and then gradually build up your knowledge in new areas."
 
 "Practice doesn't make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect."
 
 "My dad brought me up with a quote - 'Only those who attempt the absurd achieve the impossible.'"
 
 "You can't practice all the time. If you do, you'll eventually burn out!"
 
 "Just practicing isn't always enough. You have to be involved in what you are doing. You have to learn from the heart."
 
 "I don't think this teacher could have been very good. If he was, the student would not have become so frustrated that he quit."
 
 "People who are more knowledgeable than us in a particular area have reasons for behaving the way they do - even if the reasons are not apparent to us."
 
 "This story reminds me of when I was in gymnastics. My coach kept pushing me to the limit. Well, I broke my arm and that was the end of my gymnastics career."
 
 "Parents are sometimes like this - they push and push a kid until the kid finally rebels."
 
 "This story reminds me of the movie The Karate Kid. His instructor made him practice all sorts of weird things, which he thought was useless - but the instructor turned out to be right."
 
 "I felt this way about my parents. They raised me well, but at the time I thought I knew it all and didn't want to listen to what they had to teach me. Eventually, I realized they were right."
 
 "I like this story because it emphasizes the kind of self-discipline that is missing in American culture. Our preoccupation with "freedom" makes it difficult for us to be disciplined and focused on difficult tasks."
 
 "What?"
 
 "I'm a bit paranoid about practice. Sometimes the more I practice the more careless I get. Then bad habits start to creep in."
 
 "It wasn't practicing that did it for him. He just got lucky. I don't think he deserves any prizes because he's a quitter."
 
 "I don't agree with this story. It's not realistic. In today's world you need more than just one skill in order to get ahead."
 
 "So what's the message here? Even though you may feel that something or someone is wasting your time, the eldest are still the most wise?"
 
 "I have to disagree with the consensus. Singing or music in general is anything but a skill, maybe talent, art, passion, relaxation, or a gift. If you take that away you have nothing. Practicing one passage over and over is nothing more than an elephant that stand next to a tree because he thinks he's chained to it. Not Music!"
 
 
 Working Very Hard
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, "I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it." The teacher's reply was casual, "Ten years." Impatiently, the student answered, "But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?" The teacher thought for a moment, "20 years."
 
 
 (in other versions of this story, the student says he is eager to attain "enlightenment")
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "The student is too eager. The master is trying to tell him that he needs to learn patience first."
 
 "Sometimes, if you try too hard, you just get in your own way. It makes you anxious, which just blocks understanding. Some things have to develop naturally, by themselves."
 
 "This story makes me think about life. If you want to do something, then just let it happen. Don't push it. the harder you try, the longer it will take."
 
 "You can't rush true leaning. You have to take it one step at a time."
 
 "Reminds me of dieting. If you loose weight slow or by a natural method, it works much better than trying to do it quickly and compulsively."
 
 "Live for the moment. Don't rush things and worry so much about later. Let it flow. I would tell this story to those Type-A personalities who are always pushing in life."
 
 "Usually we are taught that the more effort we put into a task, the greater the reward. Then why is someone like this student, who is showing so much zeal, rebuffed by the master like this?"
 
 "Maybe this means that the harder you work at something, the more there is to learn. The more you want to learn, the more there is to learn."
 
 "You have to LIVE what you are studying."
 
 "The master is trying to tell the student to slow down, experience life, be self-aware. Maybe he is even trying to tell him to not be so preoccupied with the martial arts."
 
 "Get a life, already!"
 
 "Mastery doesn't come just from practice alone."
 
 "The student wanted to study the martial arts for the wrong reasons. He is immature in what he wants and expects. It probably would take him 20 years before he realized this."
 
 "You can't ever master the martial arts."
 
 "I've been in therapy for many years and now I wonder just how long it will take for me to master my problems. I guess it will take time."
 
 "This story reminds me of Aristotle who said that we should search for the mean between the extremes of excess and deficiency."
 
 "The student can't hear the answer the master is giving him because he is asking the wrong question. He anticipates eagerly what will only come naturally."
 
 "Don't just talk it, DO IT!"
 
 "Haste makes waste!"
 
 "I recently had this conversation with a workmate about the distinction between people who sail, and people who drive power boats (!)."
 
 "I know this story doesn't come from our western culture, but it reminds me of us. People always want to get things over with as quick as possible. They want to accomplish everything yesterday!"

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:34:48

Masterpiece
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A master calligrapher was writing some characters onto a piece of paper. One of his especially perceptive students was watching him. When the calligrapher was finished, he asked for the student's opinion - who immediately told him that it wasn't any good. The master tried again, but the student criticized the work again. Over and over, the calligrapher carefully redrew the same characters, and each time the student rejected it. Finally, when the student had turned his attention away to something else and wasn't watching, the master seized the opportunity to quickly dash off the characters. "There! How's that?," he asked the student. The student turned to look. "THAT.... is a masterpiece!" he exclaimed.
 
 
 
 (Legend states this is the story behind master Kosen's creation of an ink template that was used to create the wood carving "The First Principle" that appears over the gate of Obaku Temple in Kyoto)
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "It's not how perfect you do something that's important, but how others perceive it."
 
 "It's reminds me of trying hard to accomplish something, and failing. If you just do your best, then that's the masterpiece."
 
 "Spontaneity is beautiful, not carefully planned out and conforming work."
 
 "Trying hard at something can lead to poor results. Let it come naturally."
 
 "We get habituated to everyday life. When we see something all the time, we take it for granted. When we see something new, for the first time, we appreciate it."
 
 "Originality is what makes each of us a masterpiece. Don't stick to the same old way of doing things."
 
 "Stop thinking and just do what's natural for you, instead of what's expected. Some of our best work is done when we least expect it."
 
 "You can't perform perfectly under the watch of critical eyes. When you don't force perfection, it happens by itself, spontaneously. Great things happen when you least suspect it."
 
 "Whenever you watch over someone you make them self-conscious and uncreative. It's like trying to teach a child. If you let them alone they will usually figure it out themselves and it will be great."
 
 "Teachers always criticize students' work even though they revise it many times. It's a hassle. You wonder if it is ever good enough. Students sometimes feel that they'd like to switch places with the professor, so the professor can feel what it's like to be criticized over and over."
 
 "I have to wonder why was the master so concerned with the student's opinion in the first place? Anyway, I think that when you become an expert at something, you pay less attention to it than someone who is new to it and who therefore has something valuable to offer."
 
 "Sounds like the master is the student and the student is the master."
 
 "People tend to be too critical. If they do not see the effort that goes into a project and just the finished work, then they can appreciate it."
 
 "You can't see a masterpiece as it's being created stroke by stroke. You have to see it whole. It's like not being able to see the forest from the trees."
 
 
 
 True Self
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A distraught man approached the Zen master. "Please, Master, I feel lost, desperate. I don't know who I am. Please, show me my true self!" But the teacher just looked away without responding. The man began to plead and beg, but still the master gave no reply. Finally giving up in frustration, the man turned to leave. At that moment the master called out to him by name. "Yes!" the man said as he spun back around. "There it is!" exclaimed the master.
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "I think the Zen master was trying to show him that his 'true self' was giving up too easily. He needs to be patient and then he will know who he really is."
 
 "When this man doesn't get what he wants, he gives up and runs away. He's a quitter. He's frustrated. The master wanted to demonstrate this to him so they could then talk about it."
 
 "His true self is that he doesn't push enough for what he wants. He gives up too easily. You should strive for your goals and never give up."
 
 "Makes me think of the times I would ask my father to help me with homework. I would ask him a question, and he would say, 'Well, what do you think.' I always got really frustrated because I thought that if I was asking him then I didn't know the answer myself. But he was right. I always did come up with the solution myself."
 
 "Only you can find yourself. He is who he is. The master showed him that by calling his name."
 
 "Your true self is who you are - that's it!"
 
 "No one can tell you who you are. You have to do that yourself."
 
 "He who loses himself in a crowd always asks for guidance from elders. But when shunned, they are willing to walk away and search for the truth."
 
 "This man only knew himself through his own name. He saw himself only through others."
 
 "I have no clue what this is supposed to mean."
 
 "I guess you will discover the most important things about yourself when you least expect to. There must be an element of surprise! When you're desperate, or trying too hard, you overlook things."
 
 "You must surrender, give up, in order to really discover who you are."
 
 "You have to give up on certain qualities of yourself, to unburden yourself, in order to find your true self."
 
 "Is the master telling him that his identity IS his name?"
 
 "I find it too simple that one's identity exists solely in one's name."
 
 "You can't be distraught and get spiritual help - you have to go with the flow."
 
 "Thinking about this story drove me bonkers!"
 
 
 When Tired
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
 
 A student once asked his teacher, "Master, what is enlightenment?"
 
 The master replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (In other versions of this story, one disciple is bragging about his master to the disciple of another master. He claims that his teacher is capable of all sorts of magical acts, like writing in the air with a brush, and having the characters appear on a piece of paper hundreds of feet away. "And what can YOUR master do?" he asks the other disciple. "My master can also perform amazing feats," the other student replies. "When he's tired, he sleeps. When hungry, he eats"........... or simply, "When he sleeps, he sleeps. When he eats, he eats.")
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "Living in the now is the most difficult task for us humans. Most live in the past or future."
 
 "Pleasures are simple things. Make the most of what you have."
 
 "Enlightenment may not be an unachievable task - it may be right in front of us all the time."
 
 "You have to accept and enjoy the basics before you can understand the more complicated aspects of life."
 
 "Do what you want to do. You are not given instructions on how to act. When you feel a need, fulfill it."
 
 "If you satisfy your needs, you will be happy."
 
 "Complexity is not always needed to get the job done. Life is only as difficult as we make it out to be."
 
 "This doesn't sound like much of story, even though the message makes sense. It sounds like something a child would come up with. I would like to ask my boyfriend about this statement, because he seems to like these kinds of things."
 
 "The master is truly at peace."
 
 "When your body signals messages to you, and you answer your body's questions, you will reach happiness. It reminds me of last night. It was dinner time, but I didn't feel like eating. I was exhausted. So I laid down to take a nap, and woke up when my body wanted to wake up. I felt very revived and happy, and was able to go back to the work that I had to finish that night. I guess I was "enlightened" because I listen to my body."
 
 "To know yourself is enlightenment."
 
 "I think he means you choose what your enlightenment is."

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:36:17

A Useless Life
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 A farmer got so old that he couldn't work the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working the farm, would look up from time to time and see his father sitting there. "He's of no use any more," the son thought to himself, "he doesn't do anything!" One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin. He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. "I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?" "What is it?" replied the son. "Throw me over the cliff, if you like," said the father, "but save this good wood coffin. Your children might need to use it."
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "What's useless to one person isn't useless to another."
 
 "Everyone is here for a reason, even if it isn't obvious."
 
 "There is nothing useless in life, if God created it. Everything has a purpose. Sometimes when you think something is useless, there will come a day when you need that very thing."
 
 "Each person has their own unique flaws and imperfections. But it's all part of the purpose and meaning of his or her life. Nobody can decide for another what the purpose of that person's life is."
 
 "Maybe the story suggests that when someone loses all meaning and purpose in life, there's no reason to resist death.... But you better be careful about what you assume is meaningless."
 
 "The farmer wanted the son to realize how cold-hearted he could be."
 
 "The father is saying to the son; from your perspective I'm as good as dead, but son you will realize who I am- when you are me ;) "
 
 "That father was truly patient with his son's misunderstanding."
 
 "This story gave me an uneasy, horrid feeling. I was shocked by the father's last statement."
 
 "The wise man always wins in the end, even in the worst of circumstances."
 
 "It's so easy to forget what knowledge and experience any one person has, especially older people who have been around for a long time. Our society tends to define a person's usefulness in terms of their physical capabilities and what they can DO. We tend to forget that human worth is in the mind and heart."
 
 "If we went about things the way the son did, every time we got frustrated or felt we were the only ones working hard, sooner or later we'd wind up throwing everyone off a cliff."
 
 "It's interesting that the story is about human worth, but the father points out the worth of the coffin. Some people are more concerned about material things than about an old man dying. Maybe some of us are unable to appreciate human worth, so we focus on the value of THINGS."
 
 "I like the humor in this story."
 
 "Why did the father get into the coffin in the first place? I'm glad he made that sarcastic remark at the end. I can't believe a son would do this. What kind of life philosophy leads you to think you should push your own father over a cliff?"
 
 "Be careful! Your children someday may do to you exactly what you did to your parents. All bad things that you do will eventually come back to haunt you. It's karma."
 
 "What goes around, comes around."
 
 "As far as I'm concerned the son should be shot. The father worked hard all his life to
 provide for his children. I'm sure the father does not particularly like being old. So have some respect!"
 
 "This story reminds me of when my father was in a depression. But we didn't throw him over a cliff. The family pulled together and helped him recover."
 
 "We're all going to get old and useless someday, but that's life. We have to be strong enough to help those who need our help, and also confident enough to let ourselves be helped."
 
 "We often don't stop to realize what we're doing until it's too late."
 
 "I am surprised at how many of the reactions to this story seem to ignore the obvious reason for the old man's comment-this is a joke! Like it or hate it, the author created this for the primary reason to make you laugh. These are not meant to be real people in this story.... As to the meaning behind the joke-I believe it is just to point out the usefullness of things that are not immediately obvious to being useful. Like spending a day to get to a store where something is on sale, and not realizing that the time you waste getting there might be worth more than the amount you save on the purchase."
 
 
 Transient
 
 
 A famous spiritual teacher came to the front door of the King's palace. None of the guards tried to stop him as he entered and made his way to where the King himself was sitting on his throne.
 
 "What do you want?" asked the King, immediately recognizing the visitor.
 
 "I would like a place to sleep in this inn," replied the teacher.
 
 "But this is not an inn," said the King, "It is my palace."
 
 "May I ask who owned this palace before you?"
 
 "My father. He is dead."
 
 "And who owned it before him?"
 
 "My grandfather. He too is dead."
 
 "And this place where people live for a short time and then move on - did I hear you say that it is NOT an inn?"
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "We are ALL here for just a short time, and then move on."
 
 "This is more like a riddle than a story... a riddle about life."
 
 "I like this story because it shows that people in power think that their power or status is permanent. But nothing in life is permanent. People like this need to be put in their place."
 
 "I couldn't tell if this man is ready to die or just needs a place to sleep."
 
 "We live and die and never really own anything. How many people today think this deeply?"
 
 "Materialism and wealth makes you think things will last forever. It's all a defense against the realization that everything eventually passes away."
 
 "An entertaining story. But it doesn't mean much."
 
 "The teacher is trying to show the king that the palace is not his. If the palace represents life itself, then who does it belong to? Does life belong to any one person?"
 
 "Maybe the teacher wanted the king to understand how he should be sharing the wealth."
 
 "People on the road, like the teacher, may have a better grasp of what life is about
 than people who have entrenched themselves in their possessions and positions."
 
 "This story doesn't remind me of anything, except maybe a dumb joke I might have
 been told once."
 
 "We are all just passing through 'this thing called life' and time is very short. We
 should make the best of it while we're here."
 
 "Sooner or later, we all have to move on, both during this life and afterwards."
 
 
 
 Going with the Flow
 
 
 A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived."
 
 (Some versions describe Confucius as witnessing this event. Also, in some versions, the old man explains how he has been jumping into the waterfall like this since he was a small boy. )
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "You have to accommodate yourself to life and get used to dealing with your problems as they come. You must learn to cooperate."
 
 "We must adapt to nature. Nature cannot change for us. If you try to fight the natural forces, they will overcome you. Because we are made primarily of water, it is easy to become a part of it."
 
 "Because nature is so much more powerful than we are, we must become one with it in order to survive."
 
 "Humans are not the almighty conquerors that they think they are. We can learn a lot from nature. Nature is wonderful and does not intend to harm. It is humans that are harmful."
 
 "Sometimes we go through life wanting the world and other people to accommodate to us. When they don't, we get rigid and defensive, thereby getting us in trouble and making the situation a lot worse for ourselves."
 
 "Have faith and serenity that everything will work out. When you try to control events, they backfire."
 
 "Work with what life gives you and you will survive."
 
 "Put your life into God's hands and you will be OK."
 
 "Although you may not be able to control your destiny, you always have the ability to think and reason about your situation. This will help you come out on top."
 
 "Too often people are strict in their ways of living. Stubborn people either are left behind or die out."
 
 "You should take control of a situation before it takes control of you."
 
 "Where there's a will there's a way."
 
 "Sometimes even when you do the best you can to adapt to others and/or situations it doesn't help you. In fact, it could make things worse because you could lose your identity. Conformity is not always a good thing. Having an identity as an individual sometimes means going against the grain."
 
 "Don't give in to fear during a dangerous situation. It is fear that destroys you."
 
 "The water is like religion - we have to accommodate to it."
 
 "It's interesting to see how the old man draws a parallel between the physical and spiritual world. You must be one with a crisis. If we accept obstacles or tragedies as universal events and don't attempt to conquer or repress them, then it will not be seen as an obstacle or a disaster, but simply as an experience."
 
 "Miracles do happen. The old man must have been very strong-willed."
 
 "I can imagine the old man's physical sensations when he was in the water - frightened and peaceful at the same time. I remember being two years old and overcome by large waves when swimming at the beach. Perhaps if I had accommodated myself to the water, I would not have been as frightened."
 
 "The man knew he was going to survive and never gave into fear. Maybe that's the lesson - always maintain a positive attitude about life."
 
 "Never lose your temper, remain calm, and take things in stride as they come. If you have faith, things will work out."
 
 "This must have been a very dangerous situation, but then water symbolizes rebirth and cleansing, doesn't it?"
 
 "Oh yeah, right! He was just lucky!"
 
 "I don't know he could have done it 'without thinking.'"
 
 "Sounds like the old man should be a character on a soap opera."
 
 "This story doesn't apply to reality. Wake up!"
 
 "Why didn't anyone who was watching help him out of the water?"
 
 "This old man seems rather arrogant and narcissistic about himself."
 
 "The story reminds me of people who tried to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. They got arrested for that."

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:36:52

Destiny
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."
 
 He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."
 
 "Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "You have to be optimistic and confident, otherwise you are doomed."
 
 "If you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything."
 
 "If you believe that a higher power is on your side, you can accomplish anything."
 
 There ain't nothing like the power of positive thinking. It's a power much greater than oneself."
 
 "Keep the faith!"
 
 "This is a good story for children. You have to TRY if you want to accomplish something. If you don't, you'll never know. To me, 'never to have known' is the worst destiny."
 
 "You can change your destiny. If you aren't responsible for yourself, who will be?"
 
 "I'd love to tell this story to my sister. She always has doubts about herself."
 
 "Almost all of the problems I've encountered in my life were due to the fact that I had doubts about myself, or others."
 
 "Often, when I have to make a difficult decision about something, I toss a coin. It does make me feel more confident about my actions.. Funny, though, that I sometimes keep tossing it until I get the answer I want."
 
 "This story is about a charismatic leader manipulating the emotions of his followers to a beneficial effect. I wonder if Hitler flipped a coin."
 
 "Reminds me of pulling the pedals off of a flower.... She loves me, she loves me not..."
 
 "Talk about a self-fulfilling prophesy!"
 
 "Well, the general won his battle, but he lied to his men in the process. I wonder if that's such a good idea."
 
 "I'd be curious to know how the men would have reacted to finding out about the general's trick. Would they ever trust him again?"
 
 "How many leaders are just tricking us into doing what we do?"
 
 "One person's destiny is another's manipulation."
 
 "I guess when someone surrenders himself to destiny, there's another person behind the scenes who has taken charge to make sure that destiny happens."
 
 "If the soldiers' destiny was the trick of the general, then who is playing tricks with MY destiny?"
 
 "Is there such a thing as destiny?.... I wonder."

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:38:29

Maybe
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "May be," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "May be," replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "May be," answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "May be," said the farmer.
 
 
 (in other versions of this story, the farmer says something other than "maybe" - for instance "we'll see" - or he simply smiles without saying anything)
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "It's comforting to know that good can come from bad circumstances, but not so nice to face the fact that bad can come from good times. Yet, is there good and bad at all?"
 
 "I guess there is no 'good' or 'bad.' Everything that happens to us is a mixture of good and bad. You have to just take things as they are."
 
 "Everything happens for a reason, and worrying about what has or will happen has no effect. So don't worry, be happy!"
 
 "Never judge a situation - wait for the outcome."
 
 "You can't fight fate!"
 
 "God controls our lives. We may not understand his purpose, so just accept what happens."
 
 "Nothing - I mean NOTHING occurs by accident!"
 
 "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!"
 
 "I think the farmer didn't want to jinx himself by agreeing with his neighbors."
 
 "If you try to predict the future, you may be wasting your time. I wonder, then, how worthwhile is it to plan for the future?"
 
 "This farmer apparently doesn't believe in free will. When he always replies 'maybe' he must feel that no matter what he says or does it will not make a difference in the path his life takes."
 
 "I think there's a fine line between optimism and pessimism, the farmer is standing on it."
 
 "We never know what will happen in life. Man is so narrow-minded and naive, yet he claims to know it all. No one knows where fate will bring us, but people who have faith in God will have everything set right."
 
 "Although the story may provide relief to people who believe that a superior being is looking out for us, it in effect tells us to accept our situation without trying to change it. I'm not sure I agree with that."
 
 "Que sera, sera. Life is a mystery. Don't take it for granted. Accept it, and try to enjoy the ride."
 
 "I wish I could be as relaxed and peaceful as this farmer. My mother always told me that I shouldn't worry about things that I can't change."
 
 "This farmer has mastered the art of letting go and letting life take its course. But he also seems to be a bit unfeeling. I don't think that has to be sacrificed for serenity."
 
 "I don't think this farmer realized how lucky he was that his son didn't have to go off to war. A broken leg is always better than getting killed!"
 
 "This farmer sure is a man of few words!"
 
 "If you take life just as it comes, one day at time, eventually you will be able to see the Big Purpose to it all."
 
 "This story reminds me of the Book of Job in the Old Testament."
 
 "Life isn't a matter of good or bad luck. It's about what you do with what happens to you - where and how you take it."
 
 "I don't like the fact that there isn't a lot of information about the farmer in this story. The neighbors don't seem to understand how he feels about life. I guess the message is that if you think positive about events in your life, they will turn out OK."
 
 "This farmer sounds rather confused - maybe because things are happening so fast in his life."
 
 "First this story is about crops, then about horses, then about broken legs! There's probably some deep meaning in here, but it's over my head."
 
 "Tell the neighbors to mind their own business!"
 
 "Is there meaning to this story? maybe.."
 
 
 Is That So?
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is that so?"
 When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.
 
 For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the child.
 
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "We are free to tell the mountain that it is too high, the road that it winds too much and the ocean that it is too wet."
 
 "The master taught the village that perception is a relative phenomenon and that reality simply is what it is despite how people label it."
 
 "Public criticism is a means for those who do not know themselves well. But for well self-understanding people, it means nothing."
 
 My tickling is piqued by the choosing of ZenMasterNames, yes. I bet "Iza tsohaw qu-een" is some kind of mystic chant that the author wanted readers to mutter over and over again as they read this koan.
 
 "We all have responsibilities. sometimes other create them for us. We then have a choice to accept these responsibilities or fight them. The Zen master sees the greater good in accepting responsibilities that he did not ask for or plan on."
 
 That girl is a lying slut.
 
 Hakuin must have been aware of his perceived status in the community. He accepted his charge by a member of the community unencumbered. With compassion he completed the mission.
 
 No matter. That child was as we all once were. The only difference is in being. Hakuin excepted anothers lie for truth as proof of his virtue of ethics and morality.
 
 "To be in harmony with the world."
 
 The monks calmness is admirable, but the idea that one should not speak the truth when confronted with a lie is potentially very harmful. Perhaps the monk did not recognize his reputation among the people or the impact it would have on them, because if the daughter never admited to lying about who the childs true father was, she may have created a spirit of cynicism among the people. That even the most 'spiritual' types of people are not really so, but are simply putting on an act is what alot of people would have taken from this situation if the truth never arose. People shouldn't be dependent on the oppinions of others for their happiness, but they should also recognize the impact that their life will make on others and therefore not permit calumny to prevail.
 
 is that so?
 
 So what? So what if he was or wasn't the father. Details can not overshadow what is right or wrong. Everyone allowed themselves to be bothered by truly trivial details, and allowed these trivial details to act as ethical guiedelines for action.
 
 questions lead to the truth. Have you ever heard the following in a conversation "Well why didn't you tell me?! 'Because you didn't ask.' "? It is the same here. Nobody asked Hakuin if he was the father, nobody asked if he would care for the child, and nobody asked for it back. We must learn to ask the right questions of the world around us, and to request, not demand all the time.
 
 People will act on their own convictions if there is no response.
 
 Just because everyone "knows" something to be true does not mean that it is.
 
 People saying something does not make it true...Knowing yourself is the most importent thing.
 
 No matter what your reputation is, no matter how much your virtue is praised, because it depends on the opinions of others, it does not reflect the Real You.
 
 I like Richard Bach's Messiah's Handbook from "Illusions": Live, never to be ashamed, if what you do or say is published around the world. Even is what is published is not true.
 
 Even a large stone cannot stop the river. Its resistance marks its demise.
 
 Perhaps it is too obvious that "Is that so?" is both a passive challenge to the accusers and an invitation to look more deeply into the matter -- both of which were repeatedly declined. The Hakuin wisely declines to force the issue, accepting minor injustice while avoiding greater disharmony.
 
 The master has achieved complete acceptance of every person, situation and emotion. He has no fear of being unjustly labeled. He receives the child and gives up the child with the same peace of mind. He is both a detached observer and a complete participant.
 
 The Zen master taught that there is no difference between truth and lie, because all happenings in life will be experienced through the filter of our sense-organs. That is why he reacted equally to both, the accusation and the apology. Another example that children born out of wedlock are foistered onto others who must then pay for the bundle of joy. No mention is stated of the devestating effects of terminating a baby's initial bonding with a caretaker. I'll bet the monk never recieved a Father's Day card.
 
 When I read this story for the first time I thought that the only words that Hakuin knew were "is that so?". I then thought that couldn't be right so I read it again. Now I just don't know what to think.
 
 So what?
 
 In asking the question "is that so?" perhaps the Zen master was trying to tip the people about truth. It is not subjective. It IS. He may not have believed their apology at the end as true as he did not believe their accusations as true. Their judgement of him was not relevant (to him.) The truth IS the truth and is what matters.
 
 "You can't tell the whole story by reading the front page"
 
 Truth is what you make it. In a Society Truth is what most of the people think it is -- or is it ?
 
 "Truth? What is it?"
 
 
 The Gift of Insults
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him.
 One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.
 
 Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior's challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.
 
 Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him. "How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?"
 
 "If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"
 
 
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "The old warrior must have been thick-skinned!!!!!"
 "I would hesitate (he who hesitates is lost) to call insults a gift, but this reminds me of child's saying, 'I'm made of rubber, you're made of glue, everything you say bounces off me and sticks to you.'"
 
 "To win without violence is the greatest victory!"
 
 "Reacting to insulting behavior only serves to give the insulting party EXACTLY what they want."
 
 "Perhaps the master did accept the gift. The gift was victory. The master needed only stand there (and take it) to accept his gift."
 
 "If you do not receive someone's gift of insults, you haven't been insulted." "The young whippersnapper obviously fell into his own trap. With the first insult he gave away victory to the old man by displaying his own weakness."
 
 "It's not what happens to you that matters, it's what happens in you."
 
 "This story reminds me of something I read in one of my aikido books. Two old,great masters were preparing to fight in a Kendo match, Japanese swordsmanship. When the match started, neither one moved from their fighting stance. In fact they both stayed exactly still for five minutes until the match was finally called a draw. If they made the first move it would reveal their weaknesses, and they would be defeated. Now that is awesome."
 
 "An insult is like a glass of wine. It only affects you if you accept it."
 
 "This story reminds me of the question, "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a noise?" The same question can be asked in this story, paraphrasing "If an insult falls on deaf ears, who is insulted?"
 
 "The older warrior had no other choice but to not move and stand fast. He understood his own limitations and through his years of experience also knew his opponents strengths. He was once a young warrior too."
 
 "If I may be so crude, I'd say that our "infamous young warrior" got his ass kicked."
 
 "This reminds me of my mother's words "If you throw stones into a slushy puddle, it is bound to splash back on you!" We are Indians (from Asia) and boy do we have thousands of such zen stories!!!"
 
 "This is one of the best illustrations of Zen stories because it illustrates a universal principle (read "truth"). The setting for the story is appropriate because its lesson is a two-edged sword: there is the obvious consequence of the elder warrior refusing to accept the younger warrior's "gifts," and also the more subtle but implicit idea that a gift cannot be accepted without quid pro quo. The old warrior also had gifts to bestow -- knowledge of his skill and his weakness. The younger man, because he focused only on weaknesses was blind to the older warrior's proffered "gift," and therefore refused it. So the elder retained his strengths while the younger went away empty-handed."
 
 "It illustrates the universal truth that "whatever you give is what you receive" or "whatever goes around, comes around".

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:39:37

Without Fear
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived - everyone except the Zen master. Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger. "You fool," he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!" But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved. "And do you realize," the master replied calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"
 
 
 (other versions of this story then describe how the general, surprised and awed by the master, sheepishly leaves)
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "Happy are those who do not fear death. They know no fear and therefore cannot be controlled."
 
 "It takes a lot more strength and courage to be a non-violent person."
 
 "The captain goes down with his ship, just like the zen master stays with the village and confronts the invaders."
 
 "There is a similar idea in American Indian culture. When you were being tortured to death by your enemy, you could still defeat your enemy, and in a sense win the battle, if you showed bravery and didn't scream."
 
 "STEELY RESERVE - I love it! This feat could only be accomplished by one who fears nothing and understands the course of life."
 
 "There are certain kinds of people who get attacked more often than others. I would tell this story to children who are always being harassed by other kids."
 
 "The sword does not make the man."
 
 "Sounds neat, in a chivalrous kind of way!"
 
 "I'm not quite sure of the meaning of this story, but I liked how the master replied."
 
 "This Zen master obviously exists on a high spiritual level. His body is unimportant to him."
 
 "I find this story a bit humorous. The master is quite a funny guy. It makes me wonder how the general replied. His mouth probably dropped!"
 
 "This general is obviously a selfish man. Why else would he conquer all those towns? And then when he doesn't get what he wants, he childishly resorts to anger and violence."
 
 "It's the master's wisdom and his possession of such a closeness with self that intrigues me. These attributes could allow you to touch the lives of an infinite number of people, as well as deal with any kind of adversity."
 
 "I don't agree with the Zen master's decision to stay. I think his so-called 'wisdom' - or stupidity, will lead to his eventual downfall."
 
 "He showed no attempt to defend himself or his village - that's kind lame!"
 
 "The Zen master had the courage to stand up for what he wanted and wasn't afraid to die for it. Making a solid decision, that's what this is about. He proudly stood his ground and took responsibility for his actions, and I bet this probably warded off the general."
 
 "Too many people let fear run their lives."
 
 "You shouldn't flee from disputes, but rather face them head on with both eyes open."
 
 "This story shows man's innate courage and unwillingness to be intimidated, something which in many of us is inherently absent."
 
 "Self-control: it's not what you say but how you say it. The only time the general was intimidating and violent is when others allowed him to be."
 
 "People instantly recognized someone who is internally strong."
 
 "This makes no sense to me. I think that standing up to someone should be encouraged, but not when the consequences are that severe!"
 
 "The master could be in complete control, or he could be insane."
 
 
 The Present Moment
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A Japanese warrior was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That night he was unable to sleep because he feared that the next day he would be interrogated, tortured, and executed. Then the words of his Zen master came to him, "Tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality is now." Heeding these words, the warrior became peaceful and fell asleep.
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "We have to take each day one at a time. Each moment in this life only comes once, so take advantage of it and live it fully."
 
 "Don't worry about tomorrow until it comes. Take things lightly."
 
 "Don't let yourself be troubled by tomorrow. It will take care of itself."
 
 "We all have images and concepts of what tomorrow will bring - good or bad. But we never know for sure what will happen."
 
 "It's a nice story, but I'd still be real worried about the next day!"
 
 "Isn't this a bit of a paradox. The only reality is 'now' - but 'now' quickly becomes the past. So there is no reality at all! Maybe that's why the soldier shouldn't worry about it."
 
 "That soldier better hope the Zen master is on his way to rescue him. Those words are pretty easy for the master, who's probably sleeping comfortably in his bed at home."
 
 "Almost anyone would be anxious in this situation. I don't think the master's advice would work for most people."
 
 "True wisdom is not easily applied."
 
 "This reminds me of something my mother told me last week. 'Stop dreaming and live.'"
 
 "We always want to plan for the future, but we often make ourselves miserable in the present while doing it."
 
 "People tend to worry way too much about things that they can't control. If we can just let it go, we'd be at peace with ourselves."
 
 "The only reality is now, but what WILL happen when the soldier wakes up. That will quickly become reality too."
 
 "I think the warrior should be thinking of ways to escape, rather than sleeping. I hope the Zen master told him that torture is an illusion too."
 
 "I guess we should live each day as if it is our last."
 
 "A good tale, but it's not complex enough. It's too easily dismissed as being silly."
 
 
 Concentration
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!" Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target. "You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 
 "Having a big ego gets you nowhere. Some people need to be taken down a peg or two. If you boast and brag, sooner or later someone is going to put you in your place."
 
 "I like this story - it has some suspense to it."
 
 "Physical skills are not enough. There also has to be a balance between mind and body. Your mind has to be open and curious."
 
 "You can be highly skilled at something, but still not have a very creative mind."
 
 "There's a big difference between talent and a disciplined mind. A disciplined mind is the most crucial element in mastering an art."
 
 "It's just like my mother always used to tell me. 'EXPERIENCE is the real teacher.' We can learn a lot from our elders."
 
 "The real talent is being able to apply your skills even in the most adverse situation- without fear, hesitation, or doubt."
 
 "The mind can work with you, or against you."
 
 "People who brag usually lack confidence and are insecure on the inside. Eventually, this results in their failing."
 
 "Pride cometh before the FALL (pun intended)."
 
 "The mind is the most powerful weapon."
 
 "Learning is most powerful when your knowledge is tested under many different circumstances. The young archer was skilled under very specific conditions, but he was unable to apply that skill in an unfamiliar environment."
 
 "The boy was a good archer but he seemed to be doing it only for the competition. The old man did it because he enjoyed it, not to prove anything. This gave him a sense of control."
 
 "An interesting story about how fear can rule one's life."
 
 "This is a great story to teach children who feel that they are stupid or can't do anything right."
 
 "No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn. But also, everyone should be respected for whatever knowledge they have."
 
 "The champion has good raw talent but he doesn't know how to use it properly. He's a show-off and will probably waste his talent. If he used his skill in a constructive way - like teaching archery, or for hunting for food or clothing - maybe someday he too will become wise."
 
 "Just goes to show you - don't show off a talent until you've perfected it."
 
 "If you're talented at something, at least be gracious about it. This kind of boasting person really turns me off. I love to see someone really skilled put them in their place!"
 
 "What IS 'talent' anyway? Being good at one thing in one situation? Seems kind of narrow to me."
 
 "The key is not that the champion was a braggart. He was better at archery than the master. However, everyone excels at something. The master at controlling his fear and the champion at shooting a bow. What makes the master wise is that he could put the champion at such a disadvantage by maximizing his own skills while minimizing the braggarts."
 
 "The idea that came to me was to search for the lesson of the story. The old man in the environment he was in might have experienced defeat. By bringing the man to the area he did, he brought him to his area where he might make the odds more in his favor. The old man must have walked over the vast opening many times and gained confidence in his action. He might have even taken a few shots at the target. The younger man was removed from his comfortable area and put into the comfortable area of the old man. The lesson I learned was if a stuation confronts me, I'm better off trying to give myself the edge. Clint Eastwood..Josie Wales."
 
 "Everyone is better when on solid ground. You're more assertive, more sure of yourself, etc.
 But when your stability is taken away, you are simply a child learning everything anew."

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:43:15

Tea Combat
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A master of the tea ceremony in old Japan once accidentally slighted a soldier. He quickly apologized, but the rather impetuous soldier demanded that the matter be settled in a sword duel. The tea master, who had no experience with swords, asked the advice of a fellow Zen master who did possess such skill. As he was served by his friend, the Zen swordsman could not help but notice how the tea master performed his art with perfect concentration and tranquility. "Tomorrow," the Zen swordsman said, "when you duel the soldier, hold your weapon above your head, as if ready to strike, and face him with the same concentration and tranquility with which you perform the tea ceremony." The next day, at the appointed time and place for the duel, the tea master followed this advice. The soldier, readying himself to strike, stared for a long time into the fully attentive but calm face of the tea master. Finally, the soldier lowered his sword, apologized for his arrogance, and left without a blow being struck.
 
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "Peace and tranquility are sometimes more powerful and intimidating than anything else."
 
 "The tea master showed great courage. That's what stopped the soldier."
 
 "The soldier bowed to the tea master because he had a higher level of confidence."
 
 "If you are perceived as competent and able, you will be considered an equal."
 
 "The story seems to suggest that it is the appearance of the tea master that deters the attack. He looks calm and confident, but it's an illusion. Simple illusions can defeat enemies."
 
 "If you look like you know what you are doing, people will not think otherwise. Where I work all of the supervisors park inside the gate while everyone else parks outside. But if you act like you're SUPPOSED to be inside the gate and drive right through, the security guards won't stop you! It's a matter of confidence."
 
 "All that we ask others to give us we already possess."
 
 "Each of us possesses certain skills, but none of us possesses all skills."
 
 "There is nothing to fear but fear itself."
 
 "I like this story because it demonstrates how you can do things you never thought you could - like face death."
 
 "I really thought the soldier would fight anyway! But I guess people in Japan think differently than we do. Maybe they are more able to see bravery in others, and even step back to swallow their pride."
 
 "I don't like this story because it's not realistic. If you stand your ground and show others you are not afraid, they won't necessarily leave you alone. You might get shot! Hey, I live in the city! What can I tell you."
 
 "Good overpowers evil."
 
 "This reminds me of the movie Star Wars. Oby just stands there and lets Darth Vader
 strike him down. But as a result, Oby becomes even more powerful than before."
 
 "Musashi Kensei once said something like: 'Underneath the upraised sword you tremble at the gate of hell. But advance fearlessly and there you find heaven.'"
 
 "Seems like some kind of assertiveness training that failed."
 
 "Maybe the tea master's quiet determination made the soldier see that a fight was not
 necessary. It moved him to see the master's intrinsic worth and to accept the apology
 that the master had offered."
 
 "The actions that one performs daily may actually be special skills that only others truly
 see in you. These skills are an extension of who you are. Maybe that's what the soldier
 suddenly realized about the master."
 
 "It's not easy showing kindness in the face of hostility. But kindness does win over
 anger. The other person comes away with a changed heart."
 
 "You can't control other people's actions, only your own actions and your own state of
 mind. This is what stopped the soldier. He couldn't control his own mind, but he saw
 that the tea master could."
 
 "I like that the tea master didn't try to control what would happen. He just accepted the
 situation and whatever outcome might result. That's true wisdom. That's what the
 soldier noticed."
 
 
 Chasing Two Rabbits
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. "I'd like to improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you, I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What do you think of this idea?"
 "The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither one."
 
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "To excel one has to focus all energy on the task at hand."
 
 "I think that the Master could be mastered himself by the student. The more moves or strategies that the student knows will only make him stronger, wiser."
 
 "Jack of all trades, master of none."
 
 "Jack of two trades, Master of both".
 
 "Stay focused on one thing, trying to get everything will get you nothing."
 
 "Pretty straight forward... one should master/concentrate on one thing at a time... not as profound as some of your other stories, yet at least makes more sense than some others."
 
 "If the rabbits are sitting close together you can get both with one shot gun blast."
 
 "Reminds you not to take on more than you can handle. It brings to mind a candid camera segment I saw in the early 60's. A little grocery store put a big table outside heaped with oranges, and a sign that said 'FREE', but they purposely didn't leave anything to carry them in. The humor was in watching everyone try to take 3 or 4 more than they could humanly carry. I guess a good tie-in would be that if you get greedy, you might get nothing!"
 
 "This story reminds me of the old Hindu reference to one mountain and the many roads going to the peak. Though they are all valid and effective, one cannot reach the top by trying to follow two at the same time."
 
 "Anyone who puts much stock in this story should read the Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee. To look at zen, or martial arts, or anything in life as a chase, is to never find peace. I don't like this teacher, but the story has made me think."
 
 "I interpret this as similar to Jesus' saying that you can't serve two masters without hating one and loving the other."
 
 "I think the student cannot improve that which he has not yet mastered."
 
 "First story I read. It made me laugh and feel a little better."
 
 "The lesson is simple; Focus all of your faith and effort into one philosophy. The man who serves two masters, serves none."
 
 "I don't think the master's statement applies for every situation. His statement can be true for some situations, when it is true that if you focus on one subject, goal, etc, you will have more probability in succeeding, but what about the saying that goes something like "1+1 is more than two". If you unite the knowledge or the insight from two masters you are more likely to have a better result than if you focus on one. Another advantage of having two opinions is that you have the possibility of discussing both opinions, which is a usefel mental exercise, this way you can decide on your own which method or idea is better. It is always enlighting to discuss and argue different insights."
 
 "Maybe most vegetarians have more than one teacher."
 
 "If you learn from only one master, not only will you learn all his good traits, you will also learn all his flaws. going with two masters will give you the best of best of both worlds."
 
 
 
 Cliffhanger
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
 
 
 
 (One reader claimed that Thomas Cleary once told him that the original ending of this story was quite different. According to Cleary, D.T. Suzuki changed the ending because he thought the original would not appeal to Westerners. The story was then picked up by others, such as Paul Reps. In the original version, the strawberry turns out to be, in fact, deadly poison.)
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "After having only 5 hours of sleep I understand now. 'Live life to the fullest!'"
 
 "'Eat, drink, and be merry; for tomorrow we die!' Not sure who to credit the quote, but it seems to apply."
 
 "Live each moment to the full. The plight the man was in was no reason not to enjoy the wild strawberry."
 
 "The man knew that he was about to die, and that there was nothing he could do about it. The strawberry was his last chance to enjoy life so instead of wasting his last moments in fear and frustration he took what little pleasure he could and made the best of it."
 
 "Enlightenment can be found in distraction from distraction. The Universe is now! And strawberries are delicious."
 
 "The most thought provoking story yet. We get so caught up with ourselves we assume the world around us changes. Why should the strawberry taste different?"
 
 "I think most people take meaning of living in present as 'Don't worry about what next'. I think he was not living in present. He was living in past when he liked the fruit very much or future by thinking he may not get the fruit again. But the present was how to save his life."
 
 "Aren't we all hanging from a fragile vine awaiting an inevitable plunge to doom while mice gnaw at our temporary safety? What else should we do but eat a strawberry?"
 
 "This story puts me in mind of the band playing as the Titanic sank. There is something cloyingly 'live in the present moment' about it, BUT, on the other hand, why didn't the man throw the stawberry at the mice?"
 
 "It's clear why the strawberry was delicious. I would think that mice would've been even more delicious at that point."
 
 "The man should have taken those damn mice with him!"
 
 "Perhaps if the man had thought to give the mice the strawberry then they would not knaw on the vine and he would live, but instead he was self absorbed and so he was destined to fall."
 
 "The tiger is the past. The two mice are day and time which slowly kill us. And the cliff is the future. The strawberry is the present. Forget the past, not worry the future, and concentrate in the present moment. Only by that way can we live happily."
 
 "I heard this story but it was a little different, not only did he face a lion but a bear jumped at his feet while two ground hogs nibbled at his branch just at the momoment the branch would break he noticed a plump ripe strawberry - aah delicious. My view - no matter the memories of yesterday or the anticipation of tommorrow or even the events of the day remember to always enjoy the moment."
 
 "Hmmm. The story 'Cliffhanger' is very similar to a Jain parable I read once. The parable was supposed to embody the Jainist view of the world. There was also a sword wielding demoness, the cliff was replaced by a pit full of snakes and the strawberry was a dollop of wild honey. the tiger represented old age, the demoness: illness and infirmity. The honey represented the fleeting pleasures of life."
 
 "The vine represents the reality that we live in every day. The tigers are the fear, stress and lack of focus in our lives that interfere with our desire to achieve peace and that is represented by the field. We are forced by our fear out of the paece of our field into grasping to the vine that is reality. The mice are the thoughts of good and evil and the deeper nature of man that we try to ignore but constantly gnaw at our consciousness and effect our grip on reality.The strawberry is the true nature of the smaller things in life. The true value of these things is not truly appreciated unitl we are forced from our stagnat peace by our fears and confront ourselves, then we can truly appreciate what our reality has to offer us."
 
 "People have a tendency to focus too much on the bad things that are happening, and don't take enough time to see that there is beauty right in front of them. If you grasp the beauty in a dark situation, you will be happy."
 
 "Wonderful. I admire the man who is able to embrace the moment, and who, regardless of circumstance, realizes the moment is sweet. If one must die, said one ought to go with pleasure on the toungue. This is wisdom."
 
 "Everything tastes sweeter when you know it is your last."
 
 "Is this what it takes to appreciate wonderful?"
 
 "Life is beautiful! It's a shame that we realize it just in very extreme situations."
 
 "In the worst of adversity, it is always important to enjoy the little pleasures in life. Urgency of life, love, the heat of the soul, warm breath to keep the demons on their toes. Everything seems to go faster and become more important daily, whilst at the same time becoming harder to fathom. -- MORCHEEBA liner notes"
 
 "Enjoy beauty while you can."
 
 "What a story! Indeed, it points out that the essence of zen must be to live until you are dead!"
 
 "Two possibilities: (1) even in the midst of tremendous adversity, a truly enlightened person knows how to Be Here Now; or (2) this guy was in a serious state of denial. These two possibilities seem to be polar opposites leading to the same result."
 
 "IN THE MOMENT IN THE BODY HERE NOW - HOWEVER, I SPEND TO MUCH TIME OVER THERE - IF YOU FIND ME TELL ME WHERE I AM"

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:44:45

The Nature of Things
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
 Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"
 "Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."
 
 
 
 
 (Another version of this story describes a fox who agrees to carry a scorpion on its back across a river, upon the condition that the scorpion does not sting him. But the scorpion does indeed sting the fox when they are in midstream. As the fox begins to drown, taking the scorpion with him, he pleadingly asks why the scorpion has jeopardized both of them by stinging. "Because it's my nature." This story sometimes is attributed to Native Americans lore.)
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 Despite the consequences all things can not be but what they are.
 "This is an important story for me to hear right now. As times are difficult right now I have seen my tendency to want things to be "easier" or "more pleasant" or "right"... and my tendency to worry that I am not "doing the right thing" because life is painful right now... being reminded of the Nature of Things is a reminder to take these times for what they are even if they sting... to honor their nature is to honor mine... to honor mine is to honor theirs..."
 
 "Each acts according to its nature and no amount of logic or reason overcomes our basic fundamental nature...but I think the monk could have stayed true to his nature and used the bowl for the rescue!"
 
 "To live the life of Zen you must have.... Indefinite respect to all that has past. Indefinite service to all that is present. Responsibility to the future.... The monk was living the life of Zen. Reason is a roadblock or wall to living the way of Zen...
 
 "The monk did that because he have been practicing the compassion for many years; the compassion becomes his nature identity, and he love to rescue or to help living beings who are in dangerous situations with out thinking about risking himself."
 
 "Nature shows you what is right, it is your choice to listen and follow through with it no matter the cost."
 
 "I have pondered this story for years in the version of the fox and the scorpion to try and make sense out of it. It is too easy to simplly assume the message is "that is just how things are accept them". I believe the message is focused on the monk, (fox), and their foolishness for accepting on face value the plight, ( words) of the scorpion when they already know the scorpion will sting. The question is, "why do we do foolish things when we know that what we are doing is self destructive even before we do them."
 
 "The monk did not prejudice the scorpion for its nature being caustic or for its station being a bug. the monk was saving a life, enduring the sting as the price of adhereing to a higher principle."
 
 "We often must do things that we know will cause harm to us, because to not do would eventually cause us the most harm."
 
 "This story says that all suffering comes from trying to be something which one is not."
 
 
 
 Obsessed
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.
 
 As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"
 
 "Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."
 
 
 (some versions of this story describe the monk as carrying the woman across a mud puddle )
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 
 "Reminds me of the fundamentalist type of preachings that are so moralistic and full of admonitions against secular things that they actually create the problems they seek to avoid."
 
 "Rigidity gets in the way of your growth. Being rigid usually means you are denying something."
 
 "It's better to do what you need to do and get it over with, than not do it and carry it with you in your mind."
 
 "If we humans didn't dwell on things we've done in the past, then we wouldn't be who we are. We contemplate and feel guilt - it's in our nature."
 
 "The first monk listened to his conscience rather than to what he had been taught by his religion - and he ended up doing the right thing."
 
 "What happens, happens. Take the good with the bad, and the only way to get over the bad is to acknowledge it, accept it, and leave it in the past. There's no reason to be obsessed."
 
 "I think the second monk was a bit jealous. He really wanted to carry that woman himself, and now he can't get sex off his mind."
 
 "Kindness to people will always leave you with a clear conscience."
 
 "The time I spend deciding whether or not to do something often takes longer than if I just did it in the first place."
 
 "You have to go with your first reaction to a situation. Trust your instincts. If you think about something too long, any deed will seem like its the wrong thing to do."
 
 "Any action you take should be without guilt or regret, despite what other people may say or think. This is what it means to be independent."
 
 "Monks should help anyone in need."
 
 "Obviously, the second monk is feeling guilty about not helping the woman."
 
 "If you don't act on your wishes and desires, you become obsessed with them. The second monk is left wondering what it would have been like if had he acted on his impulses. You can't let thinking get in your way. I should have acted on my impulses last night. I should have just picked my man up!"
 
 "Sounds like the first monk was able to confront and deal with his problems, while the second monk still harbors them in his soul."
 
 "I find that when things happen, there are those people who forget about it and move on. Then there are those people who dwell on insignificant things - maybe because they feel they should have contributed more or should have taken control."
 
 "What if the woman fell into the water and drowned? Who would be responsible?"
 
 "We all carry with us the weight of our past mistakes, regrets, and mistaken beliefs."
 
 "Treat others as you would like to be treated."
 
 ""What's this about how you're supposed to avoid women? It doesn't make any sense!"
 
 "What I'd like to know is what is worse - physically touching a woman or thinking about one."
 
 
 Nature's Beauty
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. He had been given the job because he loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the temple there was another, smaller temple where there lived a very old Zen master. One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the temples.
 
 When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his work. "Isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old master. "Yes," replied the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you."
 
 After hesitating, the priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the master walked to the tree near the center of the garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden. "There," said the old man, "you can put me back now."
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "It's not perfect to be perfect. It's a relief to remember that. But then I wonder, did the old master feel jealous of the beauty created by the priest and seek to destroy it in the guise of teaching a message? Trying to perfectly imperfect is egotistical too!"
 
 "Nature is more perfect than anything man can create. To disrupt that beauty for the sake of making something beautiful is an absurdity."
 
 "Let nature take its course. It's not perfect but is beautiful all in itself."
 
 "We should try to see things as they really are, including their imperfections. THAT'S beauty."
 
 "Trying to be perfect can make a person miserable."
 
 "Beauty is not something you make. It happens spontaneously, naturally, by itself."
 
 "Keep nature around! Don't try to sweep it away!"
 
 "I wonder if cleanliness symbolizes emptiness, and if the leaves symbolize freedom. The old man thought the leaves gave the yard a more practical, natural look. What in life is perfect and always in order? When things are in order, there is nothing really to look at."
 
 "Ah, a lesson from the Thoreau school of nature appreciation. People should make an effort to put off the facades they project in everyday life. You should present yourself as freely as possible and not feel so uncomfortable with your identity that you become something you are not."
 
 "If you act a certain way all of the time, don't be a phony and try to change the way you are just for certain people."
 
 "God gives nature its natural beauty. Things are a certain way for a reason."
 
 "A person shouldn't get too preoccupied with the vanities of life, because something unexpected will come along and shatter your ideals."
 
 "Normally the younger priest would not have the garden look so perfect. He was trying to impress his company. The Zen master was trying to show him to be and act like himself, and not to create a false image."
 
 "Natural beauty is better than beauty put on for some purpose."
 
 "The quest for perfect is an eternal pursuit with no destination in sight."
 
 "Don't rain on anyone's parade! Give compliments where they belong and don't criticize so much! Jealousy is a bad thing - don't take revenge out on others."
 
 "Don't try to create something that is not meant to be. Only when we disrupt nature does it become ugly."
 
 "Nature doesn't need our help to be beautiful - but we need the help of nature."
 
 "This story has to do with control, and how things are much better - especially events in nature and the world - if we just let go and let nature take its course."
 
 "This story is about trust - when to trust, and when not to."
 
 "Maybe because the old man's garden didn't look as good, this story is a message about the neglect of elders."

Lepapillon0311 · 发表于 2006-1-25 17:45:09

The Most Important Teaching
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 A renowned Zen master said that his greatest teaching was this: Buddha is your own mind. So impressed by how profound this idea was, one monk decided to leave the monastery and retreat to the wilderness to meditate on this insight. There he spent 20 years as a hermit probing the great teaching.
 
 One day he met another monk who was traveling through the forest. Quickly the hermit monk learned that the traveler also had studied under the same Zen master. "Please, tell me what you know of the master's greatest teaching." The traveler's eyes lit up, "Ah, the master has been very clear about this. He says that his greatest teaching is this: Buddha is NOT your own mind."
 
 
 
 People's reactions to this story:
 "The most important teaching is to think for yourself. Unfortunately, the poor pathetic monk wasted 20 years of his life to learn it. If you're going to mediate on a philosophy for 20 years, it better be your own!"
 
 "One's own mind is just that - what you believe, not what someone else said."
 
 "I think the second monk was wiser than the first. We are our own teachers, and he saw this rather than passively accepting the truth, like the first monk."
 
 "What is mine isn't yours and my mind is not Buddha for you - or something like that. I believe this story conveys knowledge that I don't have. I think I identify with the first monk."
 
 "What the Zen master was trying to get his students to understand is that what HE said to them was not important. He wanted to get them thinking for themselves."
 
 "Don't be so quick to believe everything you hear."
 
 "Even the greatest teachers and experts make mistakes. Be your own teacher and evaluate what is important to you - never take a teaching at face value!"
 
 "How can you have any coherence in your teachings if you keep changing your ideas?"
 
 "Great masters can make mistakes that waste or even ruin the lives of their followers."
 
 "I don't believe that the monk wasted his time at all. As with everything, there must be a balance....."
 
 "It just goes to show you how ambiguous people can be."
 
 "I feel a bit confused or frustrated yet find it funny. It reminds me of that Saturday Night Live bit where the person in charge of the nuclear reactor tells his underlings that before he leaves he has just one thing to tell them and it's very important: 'You can't have too much water in a nuclear reactor!"
 
 "I found this story confusing - I guess the truth is confusing."
 
 "This story is much like something I was once taught in Freshman Physics:
 Q: Is light a particle or a wave?
 A: Yes.
 "Bob Dylan Wrote a song titled Serve Somebody, I think if the Monk only had a CD player he might have had maybe one more option. Twenty years?"
 
 "The story was predictable, and reminded me of a joke I once heard, but I can't seem to remember what it was."
 
 "The irony of this story is more powerful than the message - but, to be honest, I'm not sure what the message was."
 
 "We all interpret things according to our own personality and desires."
 
 "It's amazing how people interpret the same message in totally different, and sometimes totally opposite, ways. We are all individuals who find different paths to enlightenment."
 
 "This story is an excellent overview of today's society - of how one missed word can greatly change the meaning of one's life. Had the hermit heard the word 'not' the first time 20 years earlier, his life would have been layed out completely different."
 
 "Teachings change all the time, no matter how profound they may seem at the moment. We have to remain flexible to change as ideas change - which is a fact of life that itself will no doubt change."
 
 "Everyone's views on things are constantly changing, so it's important to keep up and in contact with our ever-changing world. 20 years ago the Zen master believed that Buddha is your own mind. Now he believes it is not. So the hermit lost 20 years of his life to an old theory."
 
 "I can't see how anyone could spend 20 years of their life probing one great teaching. He missed so many life-experiences by hiding out in the wilderness."
 
 "I think the monk found buddha within if he truly spent twenty years meditating on what is buddha and what is your mind. The not is incidental."
 
 "25 years of meditation are worthy if they are realy spent in the search of Light. It doesn't matter much if the catalyser of the meditation is a particular statement or its opposite."
 
 "The story is not about the monks, their lives or the specific 'truths' that masters impart. It is about enlightnment - which lies outside the realm of the conceptual. To trick your mind into letting go, the master sets up a paradox. The opposite 'truths' exist at the same time in the same place which snaps logic's grip on your mind and releases you to clear perception. Zen / Not-Zen, at the same time in the same place!"
 
 "There is no single concept that can be expressed to encompass buddha\truth. paradox rules. deal with it."
 
 "While Buddha is not your own mind, your own mind is Buddha."
 
 "Perhaps this story means that one needs experiences to feed the mind, and by becoming a hermit, the monk lost his mind."
 
 "Too bad he didn't have any books to burn"
 
 "I'd be real pissed off if I was that hermit!"
 
 "The hermit's problem is that he has been carrying around that teaching as words. But he never realized what the teaching meant to him. You may be able to recite the words, but if you don't know what they mean, what's the use?"
 
 "People tend to jump head first and follow an idea without seeing it through. This person meditated for 20 years only to learn that the greatest teaching is NO teaching at all."
 
 "(1) I think he would have gone up and meditated for 20 years on anything the master said (or what he thought he said). (2) Maybe the second monk was just a prankster looking for something to do. (3) Is this guy a sloooow learner or what ?"
 
 "This story should make people realize what a crock some religions are. There are so many religions, cults, and followers nowadays that it makes me want to kick someone's ass - especially those who exploit other people who are naive and gullible. No, I take it back, maybe they deserve it for being so stupid!"
 
 Reminds me of something one of my teachers once said: "Everything is black or white. Nothing is black or white."
 
 "I don't believe that the 20 years the first monk spent on this koan was wasted (incidentally, several respondents assumed that the second monk had been given the "right" koan - why?). All of us spend any 20-year span in the presence of our own minds, and perceive the world through this personal filter. So, if the monk had been an astrophysicist or an NBA forward, could his time truly have been spent any more usefully? I don't think so."
 
 "The Zen Master needs to get a real job and buddha is just a marketing idea which changes to suit the consumer."

		自动登录	找回密码
密码			注册

Stories

浏览过的版块