A university student while visiting Gasan asked him: "Have you even read the Christian Bible?"
"No, read it to me," said Gasan.
The student opened the Bible and read from St. Matthew: "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these...Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."
Gasan said: "Whoever uttered those words I consider and enlightened man."
The student continued reading: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, is shall be opened."
Gasan remarked: "That is excellent. Whoever said that is not far from Buddhahood."
My Thoughts: Initially, before knowing how to seek, we always ask and receive it. The next stage is to seek for it without asking to some one. At one stage we will need to stop seeking. This is the stage where you know everything exists and you need not seek for it. You will knock and get it. You need not ask for it as it is always YOURS.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Shoan and His Mother
Shoun became a teacher of Soto Zen. When he was still a student his father passed away, leaving him to care for his old mother.
Whenever Shoun went to a meditation hall he always took his mother with him. Since she accompanied him, when he visited monasteries he could not live with the monks. So he would build a little house and care for her there. He would copy sutras, Buddhist verses, and in this manner receive a few coins for food.
When Shoun bought fish for his mother, the people would scoff at him, for a monk is not supposed to eat fish. But Shoun did not mind. His mother, however, was hurt to see the others laugh at her son. Finally she told Shoun: "I think I will become a nun. I can be a vegaterian too." She did, and they studied together.
Shoun was fond of music and was a master of the harp, which his mother also played. On full-moon nights they used to play together.
One night a young lady passed by their house and heard music. Deeply touched, she invited Shoun to visit her the next evening and play. He accepted the invitation. A few days later he met the young lady on the street and thanked her for her hospitality. Others laughed at him. He had visited the house of a woman of the streets.
One day Shoun left for a distant temple to deliver a lecture. A few months afterwards he returned home to find his mother dead. Friends had not known where to reach him, so the funeral was then in progress.
Shoun walked up and hit the coffin with his staff. "Mother, your son has returned," he said.
"I am glad to see you have returned, son," he answered for his mother.
"Yes, I am glad too," Shoun responded. Then he announced to the people about him: "The funeral ceremony is over. You may bury the body."
When Shoun was old he knew his end was approaching. He asked his disciples to gather around him in the morning, telling them he was going to pass on at noon. Burning incense before the picture of his mother and his old teacher, he wrote a poem:
For fifty-six years I lived as best I could,
Making my way in this world.
Now the rain has ended, the clouds are clearing,
The blue sky has a full moon.
His disciples gathered about him, reciting a sutra, and Shoun passed on during the invocation.
My Thoughts: Clearly this story (also see "Is That So?") is also an example that Zen monks are not manupulated by peoples' comments. This is because they are not mislead by external world. They are driven by their internal world. The monk knowing his last day and his verses "The blue sky has a full moon" indicates that (full moon = complete wisdom) he has complete wisdom.
Whenever Shoun went to a meditation hall he always took his mother with him. Since she accompanied him, when he visited monasteries he could not live with the monks. So he would build a little house and care for her there. He would copy sutras, Buddhist verses, and in this manner receive a few coins for food.
When Shoun bought fish for his mother, the people would scoff at him, for a monk is not supposed to eat fish. But Shoun did not mind. His mother, however, was hurt to see the others laugh at her son. Finally she told Shoun: "I think I will become a nun. I can be a vegaterian too." She did, and they studied together.
Shoun was fond of music and was a master of the harp, which his mother also played. On full-moon nights they used to play together.
One night a young lady passed by their house and heard music. Deeply touched, she invited Shoun to visit her the next evening and play. He accepted the invitation. A few days later he met the young lady on the street and thanked her for her hospitality. Others laughed at him. He had visited the house of a woman of the streets.
One day Shoun left for a distant temple to deliver a lecture. A few months afterwards he returned home to find his mother dead. Friends had not known where to reach him, so the funeral was then in progress.
Shoun walked up and hit the coffin with his staff. "Mother, your son has returned," he said.
"I am glad to see you have returned, son," he answered for his mother.
"Yes, I am glad too," Shoun responded. Then he announced to the people about him: "The funeral ceremony is over. You may bury the body."
When Shoun was old he knew his end was approaching. He asked his disciples to gather around him in the morning, telling them he was going to pass on at noon. Burning incense before the picture of his mother and his old teacher, he wrote a poem:
For fifty-six years I lived as best I could,
Making my way in this world.
Now the rain has ended, the clouds are clearing,
The blue sky has a full moon.
His disciples gathered about him, reciting a sutra, and Shoun passed on during the invocation.
My Thoughts: Clearly this story (also see "Is That So?") is also an example that Zen monks are not manupulated by peoples' comments. This is because they are not mislead by external world. They are driven by their internal world. The monk knowing his last day and his verses "The blue sky has a full moon" indicates that (full moon = complete wisdom) he has complete wisdom.
Why Idol Worship
I asked what is "5+6"? A young man replied "11" immediately. I later went to a child and asked the same, he lifted his hands, started counting his fingers and after few seconds replied "11".
What did the child do? The young man having enough experience in simple mathematics, did not take any time and also did not use his fingers. But for the child, he visualized Numbers through his fingers to perform the calculation. Surely one day through practice, that child will stop using fingers but still be able to do the same calculation but also in a better and faster way. Using fingers for calculation has been one of the methodologies to understand mathematical calculations.
Now lets come to Idol worship. As the child used fingers to visualize numbers, we use Idols to visualize GOD. The child used fingers not to understand numbers but through numbers, understand the mathematical calculation. We need not understand GOD, we can use him to understand your SELF. At one stage surely, you will not require Idols to understand your SELF.
What did the child do? The young man having enough experience in simple mathematics, did not take any time and also did not use his fingers. But for the child, he visualized Numbers through his fingers to perform the calculation. Surely one day through practice, that child will stop using fingers but still be able to do the same calculation but also in a better and faster way. Using fingers for calculation has been one of the methodologies to understand mathematical calculations.
Now lets come to Idol worship. As the child used fingers to visualize numbers, we use Idols to visualize GOD. The child used fingers not to understand numbers but through numbers, understand the mathematical calculation. We need not understand GOD, we can use him to understand your SELF. At one stage surely, you will not require Idols to understand your SELF.
Muddy Road
Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.
Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.
"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.
Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't do near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"
"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"
My Thoughts: Ekido saw the girl as person seeking help but Tanzan saw her as 'young and lovely girl'. Ekido, though physically carried her over the mud, he left her after crossing it but Tanzan was carrying that girl in his mind till the night.
We carry unnecessary thoughts and corrupt our mind. These negative thoughts would bring nothing good for us. Any thoughts driven by external entity needs correct interpretation, good understanding and always requires positive approach. Zen monks who understood complete truth will never get affected by external entities. They always rely and live in their internal world.
Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.
"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.
Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't do near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"
"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"
My Thoughts: Ekido saw the girl as person seeking help but Tanzan saw her as 'young and lovely girl'. Ekido, though physically carried her over the mud, he left her after crossing it but Tanzan was carrying that girl in his mind till the night.
We carry unnecessary thoughts and corrupt our mind. These negative thoughts would bring nothing good for us. Any thoughts driven by external entity needs correct interpretation, good understanding and always requires positive approach. Zen monks who understood complete truth will never get affected by external entities. They always rely and live in their internal world.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Moon Cannot Be Stolen
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal.
Ryokan returned and caught him. "You may have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."
The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.
Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow, " he mused, "I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."
My Thoughts: The Zen master did not lead a materialistic life. This is why he did not loose anything to that thief. Zen mostly compares MOON to WISDOM/TRUTH. Zen master was referering to the WISDOM/TRUTH that the thief missed to get it from him.
Ryokan returned and caught him. "You may have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."
The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.
Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow, " he mused, "I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."
My Thoughts: The Zen master did not lead a materialistic life. This is why he did not loose anything to that thief. Zen mostly compares MOON to WISDOM/TRUTH. Zen master was referering to the WISDOM/TRUTH that the thief missed to get it from him.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
No Loving - Kindness
There was an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating. Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.
To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. "Go and embrace him," she told her, "and then ask him suddenly: 'What now?'"
The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it.
"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."
The girl returned and related what he had said.
"To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!" exclaimed the old woman in anger. "He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he could have evidenced some compassion;"
She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down.
My Thoughts: Zen is a practice of getting rid of thoughts and emotions. One can either easily abandon or will take years. It depends upon one's mind.
To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. "Go and embrace him," she told her, "and then ask him suddenly: 'What now?'"
The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it.
"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."
The girl returned and related what he had said.
"To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!" exclaimed the old woman in anger. "He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he could have evidenced some compassion;"
She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down.
My Thoughts: Zen is a practice of getting rid of thoughts and emotions. One can either easily abandon or will take years. It depends upon one's mind.
If You Love, Love Openly
Twenty monks and one nun, who was named Eshun, were practicing meditation with a certain Zen master.
Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain. Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love letter, insisting upon a private meeting.
Eshun did not reply. The following day the master gave a lecture to the group, and when it was over, Eshun arose. Addressing the one who had written her, she said: "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."
My Thoughts: Zen is a meditation. Practicing your mind to get rid of external thoughts. You need to focus on your inside. LOVE, similar to anger, happiness, etc. is just a feeling which comes out of a chemical reactions in body. Ofcourse this reaction is initiated by our thoughts towards the externals. Zen is practicing your mind....its not so easy to control it...it takes long time. Eshun, by asking the monk to embrace her was not to proove his love for her but to remind him that he need to overcome the external thoughts.
Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain. Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love letter, insisting upon a private meeting.
Eshun did not reply. The following day the master gave a lecture to the group, and when it was over, Eshun arose. Addressing the one who had written her, she said: "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."
My Thoughts: Zen is a meditation. Practicing your mind to get rid of external thoughts. You need to focus on your inside. LOVE, similar to anger, happiness, etc. is just a feeling which comes out of a chemical reactions in body. Ofcourse this reaction is initiated by our thoughts towards the externals. Zen is practicing your mind....its not so easy to control it...it takes long time. Eshun, by asking the monk to embrace her was not to proove his love for her but to remind him that he need to overcome the external thoughts.
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