A Cup of Tea
xxxxxxxxxxx
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and kept on pouring.
The professor watched until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
(( never be dogmatic like Christians or Muslims, etc etc ))
The Burden
xxxxxxxxx
Two monks were returning to the monastery but it had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was unable to walk across a puddle of water. The elder monk then carried over to the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
Much later, the younger monk said, “Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman.”
The elder monk answered “yes.”.
The younger monk ask again, “but you carried that woman across the road !”
The elder monk smiled at him and told him ” I left her on the other side of the road long ago, but you are still carrying her.”
(( let go of your attachments unlike dogmatic Christians and Muslims, etc etc ))
Finding a Piece of the Truth
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
One day Mara, the Evil One, was traveling with his attendants, he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, “A piece of truth.”
“Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?” his attendant asked. “No,” Mara replied. “Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it.”
(( know that there's no such thing as independent existence unlike those dogmatic Christians and Muslims, etc etc ))
xxxxxxxxxxx
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and kept on pouring.
The professor watched until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
(( never be dogmatic like Christians or Muslims, etc etc ))
The Burden
xxxxxxxxx
Two monks were returning to the monastery but it had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was unable to walk across a puddle of water. The elder monk then carried over to the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
Much later, the younger monk said, “Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman.”
The elder monk answered “yes.”.
The younger monk ask again, “but you carried that woman across the road !”
The elder monk smiled at him and told him ” I left her on the other side of the road long ago, but you are still carrying her.”
(( let go of your attachments unlike dogmatic Christians and Muslims, etc etc ))
Finding a Piece of the Truth
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
One day Mara, the Evil One, was traveling with his attendants, he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, “A piece of truth.”
“Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?” his attendant asked. “No,” Mara replied. “Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it.”
(( know that there's no such thing as independent existence unlike those dogmatic Christians and Muslims, etc etc ))
