A religion of reflection...
Okay, so I'm not a Buddhist. I'm a Lutheran. Shout out to my pasty brothers and sisters.
Moving on, as that's not the point of this post. Anyway, I've always been fascinated by other religions, whether I agree with the teachings or not. I am very intrigued by Buddhism in large part because instead of instructing on "the way" or "the faith" or "the light" or however it's phrased, the religion gives members/interested parties parables/stories/riddles (koans) that make the people think hard.
And I like that.
So here are a few:
* * *
THE STUDENT Tokusan used to come to the master Ryutan in the evenings to talk and to listen. One night it was very late beforehe was finished asking questions.
"Why don't you go to bed?" asked Ryutan.
Tokusan bowed, and lifted the screen to go out. "The hall is very dark," he said.
"Here, take this candle," said Ryutan, lighting one for the student.
Tokusan reached out his hand, and took the candle.
Ryutan leaned forward, and blew it out.
* * *
SHUZAN held up his staff and waved it before his monks.
"If you call this a staff," he said, "you deny its eternal life. If you do not call this a staff, you deny its present fact. Tell me just what do you propose to call it?"
* * *
Goso said: "Suppose you meet a Zen master on the road. You can'ttalk to him. You can't stand there silent. What can you do?"
* * *
LITTLE Toyo was only twelve years old. But since he was a pupil at the Kennin temple, he wanted to be given a koan to ponder, just like the more advanced students. So one evening, at the propertime, he went to the room of Mokurai, the master, struck the gong softly to announce his presence, bowed, and sat before the master in respectful silence.
Finally the master said: "Toyo, show me the sound of two hands clapping."
Toyo clapped his hands.
"Good," said the master. "Now show me the sound of one hand clapping."
Toyo was silent. Finally he bowed and left to consider thisproblem.
The next night he returned, and struck the gong with one palm."That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned and played geisha music with one hand. "That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the dripping of water.
"That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the cricket scraping his leg. "That is still not right," said the master.
For ten nights Toyo tried new sounds. At last he stopped coming to the master. For a year he thought of every sound, and discarded them all, until finally he reached enlightenment.
He returned respectfully to the master. Without striking the gong, he sat down and bowed. "I have heard sound without sound," he said.
* * *
BUTSUGEN said to his disciples; "Each of you has a pair of ears, but what have you ever heard with them? Each of you has a mouth, but what have you ever said with it? Each of you has eyes, but what have you ever seen with them? No, no! You have never heard, never spoken, never seen, never smelled.
"But in such a case where do all these colors, shapes, sounds, smells, come from?"
* * *
Anyway...I thought these were cool, and yes, one or two have still left me with a WTF response.
Moving on, as that's not the point of this post. Anyway, I've always been fascinated by other religions, whether I agree with the teachings or not. I am very intrigued by Buddhism in large part because instead of instructing on "the way" or "the faith" or "the light" or however it's phrased, the religion gives members/interested parties parables/stories/riddles (koans) that make the people think hard.
And I like that.
So here are a few:
* * *
THE STUDENT Tokusan used to come to the master Ryutan in the evenings to talk and to listen. One night it was very late beforehe was finished asking questions.
"Why don't you go to bed?" asked Ryutan.
Tokusan bowed, and lifted the screen to go out. "The hall is very dark," he said.
"Here, take this candle," said Ryutan, lighting one for the student.
Tokusan reached out his hand, and took the candle.
Ryutan leaned forward, and blew it out.
* * *
SHUZAN held up his staff and waved it before his monks.
"If you call this a staff," he said, "you deny its eternal life. If you do not call this a staff, you deny its present fact. Tell me just what do you propose to call it?"
* * *
Goso said: "Suppose you meet a Zen master on the road. You can'ttalk to him. You can't stand there silent. What can you do?"
* * *
LITTLE Toyo was only twelve years old. But since he was a pupil at the Kennin temple, he wanted to be given a koan to ponder, just like the more advanced students. So one evening, at the propertime, he went to the room of Mokurai, the master, struck the gong softly to announce his presence, bowed, and sat before the master in respectful silence.
Finally the master said: "Toyo, show me the sound of two hands clapping."
Toyo clapped his hands.
"Good," said the master. "Now show me the sound of one hand clapping."
Toyo was silent. Finally he bowed and left to consider thisproblem.
The next night he returned, and struck the gong with one palm."That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned and played geisha music with one hand. "That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the dripping of water.
"That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the cricket scraping his leg. "That is still not right," said the master.
For ten nights Toyo tried new sounds. At last he stopped coming to the master. For a year he thought of every sound, and discarded them all, until finally he reached enlightenment.
He returned respectfully to the master. Without striking the gong, he sat down and bowed. "I have heard sound without sound," he said.
* * *
BUTSUGEN said to his disciples; "Each of you has a pair of ears, but what have you ever heard with them? Each of you has a mouth, but what have you ever said with it? Each of you has eyes, but what have you ever seen with them? No, no! You have never heard, never spoken, never seen, never smelled.
"But in such a case where do all these colors, shapes, sounds, smells, come from?"
* * *
Anyway...I thought these were cool, and yes, one or two have still left me with a WTF response.
posted by Sarah at 9:00 AM
2 Comments:
its either a good thing or a bad thing that you posted this while the owl is gone Skog. Hes full of these. I keep thinking he is going to tell me one I have heard already, and its always a new one.
I miss the Owl!
Post a Comment
<< Home