What is the Most Important Thing?

[passer-by]

There is no path.

 

Refrain the senses.

 

Refrain the mind.

 

Truth remains.

 

David

 

 

the simplest of answers are almost always spot-on

[simple traveller]

Perhaps you may like this, it is a bit long but worth the read;

 

One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answer to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.

 

What is the best time to do each thing?

Who are the most important people to work with?

What is the most important thing to do at all times?

 

The Emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing whoever could answer these questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.

 

In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating each hour, day, month and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Onyy then could he hope to do every task at the right time.

 

Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.

 

Someone else insisted that, by himself the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a council of the wise and then act according to their advise.

 

Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation , but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.

 

The response to the second question also lacked accord.

 

One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still other said to put their faith in warriors.

 

The third question drew a similar variety of answers.

 

Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.

 

The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.

 

After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit and ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have any thing to do with persons of wealth and power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.

 

Reaching the holy man's dwelling place the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit say the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.

 

The emperor approached him and said,"I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?

 

The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said "You must be tired. Here let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed the the spade, and then sat down to rest.

 

After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said,"Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on my way home."

The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor,"Do you hear someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.

At las the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from a long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he say the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."

"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.

"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on you way back and kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across you attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."

The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.

The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions have already been answered."

"How's that?" The emperor asked, puzzled.

"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and that is now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future? The most important pursuit is making the person standing at you side happy, for that alone it the pursuit of life."

 

 

Hope you liked this and perhaps it may answer some questions.

 

Thank You

[Alchemybot]

Um, virtue and pleasure (theoretically non hierarchic, but in reference to Tao it is) and of course Love, preferably without attachment.

 

But that's just what I found on my searches.

[Josh Young]

The most important thing is to keep in mind how trivial it all is.

[Daeluin]

[Marblehead]

My thought, for whatever it is worth: The most important thing is 'don't forget to live.'

 

Be well!

[Josh Young]

what is the least important thing?

[October Gray]

Edited August 6, 2009 by October Gray

[CarsonZi]

What is the most important thing?

 

Silence

[effilang]

In my opinion nothing is of greater importance than anything else that is set in stone.

 

We as humans are characterized by our diversity. Our different tastes, different ideas, different perceptions; even when looking at the same thing.

 

Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Shinto, Judaism. etc.... etc.... etc.

 

We are as diverse in our understanding and acceptance of the truth as we are as different in our needs and personalities.

 

I do no believe in a universal truth, because "truth" in itself is defined by it's acceptance. And humanity has never been able to absolutely accept any one offering of truth.

 

I think it is due to the fact that as humans we exist in a hierarchial life, and wherever there is hierarchy; there is dissatisfaction and inequality. When that persists in my experience it results to an inner eagerness for separation, personal identification and inevitably the want to climb higher.

 

All this i believe leads the majority of us breaking away, seeking personality and attempting to create new ideas, new values, new "understandings" of what the "truth" is; for us, for our personal identity.

 

And then, you have to look at the most foundational of understandings; Yin and Yang.

 

How can there be a universal truth, if existence in itself is comprised of two opposing forces. We are a product of demonstrably conflicting energies, both chemically and spiritually.

 

Luke Skywalker... Darth Vader...

The Dark side... The Light Side...

 

On that note, we all find satisfactory value in different things.

Some might find the truth in a marshmallow : ) - Others at the peak of the Himalayan tops and the more meditative of us find it in englightenment.

 

I do not feel like i am more or higher than the marshmallow lover. Because i seem to measure the attainment of truth by the sense of peace and satisfaction brought on by experiencing it, and for all i know to someone with hypersensitive taste buds a marshmallow might taste like nirvana : )

 

I don't think a truth exists. I believe the illusion of truth exists, and it was created by us to help drive us further mentally, to give us the motivation and inspiration to push on, and we need that, because, if one thing is for sure, it is that the potential of the human being has never yet been measured. I believe we create truths in order to move on in our development.

 

I will not stop, when i think i am best, because i believe the truth is that i CAN do more, be more than the best.

 

I do not believe i will cease to develop myself should i ever reach enlightenment. How can you have so much knowledge and be unable to advance?...

 

No... There is no truth for me.

Truth is the barrier we set. And once we reach it, and break it, we will create another truth. I believe it will be higher than enlightenment, higher than being champion of the world, higher than being the CEO of a billion dollar corporation, higher than the hight of the truth which we are currently capable of imagining.

 

My truth is, that there is no truth. We are too amazing to be bound by the ideas and accomplishments of those before us who have defined and established their highest achievements as the truth to which we should all aspire.

Edited August 26, 2009 by effilang

[Zorkiel]

I would say, the most important thing is what ever you choose to makes it. Therefore there is no most important thing.

[Ada]

The most important thing is acceptence. So that one is able to accept everything that happens.

[acosean]

The most important thing is karma.

[Z3N]

[Mark Foote]

Over 38 years ago, a friend of mine asked our Zen master, What is the most important question? Our teacher very calmly and, with a sweet smile, slowly said, “The most important thing is…to find out what is the most important thing!”

What is the most important thing?

 

©2001, Jack Elias, Author, Finding True Magic: Transpersonal Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy/NLP American Institute for Transpersonal Hypnotherapy/NLP, www.FindingTrueMagic.com

 

I think that would be Shunryu Suzuki, would it not? Interesting to put the question in terms of the professional practice of hypnosis and counseling.

 

I remember Ed Brown echoing the question on his site at one point, too. Maybe it's like the story Dogen relates:

 

'The Ancestor said, “What is it that comes like this?”

The Master was without means [to answer].

After attending [the Ancestor] for eight years, he finally understood the previous conversation. Thereupon, he announced to the Ancestor, “I’ve understood what you put to me when I first came: ‘What is it that comes like this?’”

The Ancestor asked, “How do you understand it?”

The Master replied, “To say it’s like anything wouldn’t hit it.”

The Ancestor said, “Then is it contingent on practice and verification?”

The Master answered, “Practice and verification are not nonexistent; they’re not to be defiled.”'

 

(Soto Zen Text Project, © Sotoshu Shumucho 2005, “Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma”, Shobogenzo, Book 13, “Ocean Seal Samadhi”, Kaiin zanmai, translated by Carl Bielefeldt with Michael Radich)

 

so, to say it's anything wouldn't hit it. At the same time, practice and verification are not nonexistent.

 

There's a phenomena in the practice of zazen that is similar to hypnotic suggestion from one's own unconscious. At S.F. Zen Center, Kobun Chino Otogawa once said: "You know, sometimes zazen gets up and walks around." My own understanding, which I have come to years after having the experience Kobun described, is that the pulmonary respiration and the cranial-sacral respiration utilize the sense of location in the occurrence of consciousness to open feeling (and well-being is simply a matter of "knowing thus, seeing thus" as the Gautamid put it). Sometimes the sense of location in the occurrence of consciousness and the cranial-sacral respiration seem to enter into the long or short of the pulmonary respiration, and at such times things perceived beyond the boundaries of the six senses can suggest something through the unconscious that will effect action in the body.

 

The witness of the place of occurrence of consciousness conditioned by attachment, aversion, or ignorance surely frees the place of occurrence of consciousness, if living the life of purity to make an end of suffering is the most important thing.

Edited October 2, 2010 by Mark Foote

[Naturyl]

The most important thing, at least from my perspective, is this:

 

[Guan-Wen]

CONSCIOUSNESS

[shanshang]

Relax

[~riverflow]

This.