Wonderful Zen parable

[Rishi Das]

I wanted to share something for all those people just starting out, or even for those people that have been traveling along the path for awhile now. I myself am just beginning my journey in learning the Internal Arts and was very happy to have found this, "Wonderful Zen parable" laid out by Garri Garripoli in his book Qigong: essence of the healing dance.

 

"A wonderful Zen parable talks of a new and ambitious student who just entered the monastery in Kyoto. After a few days of learning from the great Master of the temple, he went to the front of the other young monks and asked, "How long would it take me to become a Master as great as you?." The Master thought about it and replied, "Twenty years." The young monk, a bit frustrated, asked again, "If I study everyday for fifteen hours and without much sleep, how long then?" The Master pondered a little longer and said, "Thirty years." A bit angered, the young monk retorted, "What if I studied harder than all the other monks combined and sacrificed all my interests to show my devotion, how long then?"The great Master pondered a long time for an answer. After taking a sip of tea, he gently replied, "Forty years." With that the young monk stormed out of the temple and was never seen again. The other students were reminded how great their Master truly was."

 

I personally have been so caught up in trying to figure it all out at once; I want it all to happen now! Well what I am coming to realize is that it is always happening now and after decades of conditioning myself to living in the "illusion of form" I have blinded myself from myself. So for all those people out there just getting into something that you love to do, for all those people out there doing what you love to do: be sincere, pay attention, have fun, and trust yourself; don't worry about results, don't worry about how long it's going to take. Enjoy it while it's happening because it's always happening. For myself this is a very important lesson and something I will not forget, I will read this parable every morning when I wake up, so that I may be reminded of these simple truths.

 

Thanks for taking the time to look at this, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Edited November 10, 2011 by don_vedo

[ATMA]

The harder you struggle the longer it takes?

[Elliot]

I really enjoyed reading that, it's great that we are invited to feel patient and contempt with what is here now.

Thanks don_vedo

[Nanashi]

The harder you struggle the longer it takes?

 

The bird of paradise lands on the hand that does not grasp.

[doc benway]

Yes, that's a very nice parable and a good bit of advice.

It reminds of the brilliant little video by Alan Watts, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone

 

[Gerard]

The harder you struggle the longer it takes?

 

Definitively. The more you hold on to ideas and beliefs the harder will be to let go of them and your ego-mind; therefore, if we use the koan in its entire context:

 

The monkey is reaching

For the moon in the water.

Until death overtakes him

He'll never give up.

If he'd let go the branch and

Disappear in the deep pool,

The whole world would shine

With dazzling pureness.

Hakuin

 

Edited November 10, 2011 by Gerard

[Rishi Das]

Great video Steve thanks a lot for posting that! I also really enjoyed the Koan Gerard, thanks for sharing!

Edited November 10, 2011 by don_vedo

[ATMA]

Definitively. The more you hold on to ideas and beliefs the harder will be to let go of them and your ego-mind; therefore, if we use the koan in its entire context:

 

The monkey is reaching

For the moon in the water.

Until death overtakes him

He'll never give up.

If he'd let go the branch and

Disappear in the deep pool,

The whole world would shine

With dazzling pureness.

Hakuin

 

 

Ommmmmmm.

[de_paradise]

Theres this other parable where a new ager wannabee yogi sits in Starbucks dressed in loose ethnic kind of clothing, and when asked how much she meditates, takes a sip of her latte and says that she doesnt need to, she only needs to be in the moment, and that anyway everything she does is a meditation.

[ATMA]

Theres this other parable where a new ager wannabee yogi sits in Starbucks dressed in loose ethnic kind of clothing, and when asked how much she meditates, takes a sip of her latte and says that she doesnt need to, she only needs to be in the moment, and that anyway everything she does is a meditation.

 

So....MASTERFUL.

[Lucky7Strikes]

Theres this other parable where a new ager wannabee yogi sits in Starbucks dressed in loose ethnic kind of clothing, and when asked how much she meditates, takes a sip of her latte and says that she doesnt need to, she only needs to be in the moment, and that anyway everything she does is a meditation.

 

I agree, both extremes can be detrimental. Better just steer the boat, the middle way, effortless effort.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Lucky7Strikes

[Gerard]

Theres this other parable where a new ager wannabee yogi sits in Starbucks dressed in loose ethnic kind of clothing, and when asked how much she meditates, takes a sip of her latte and says that she doesnt need to, she only needs to be in the moment, and that anyway everything she does is a meditation.

 

 

The trick is maintaining the moment at all times, which IMO requires a lot of meditation prior to that. You know, the foundations of a solid and stable building.

[forestofclarity]

You can also use strong effort AND mindfulness to learn first hand the emptiness of achievement and loss. Of course, it is an ongoing process, not so much a one time lesson.

 

In Seven Taoist Masters, there is a story about a student who overcame sex by going to brothels and discovering first hand the impact it had on his mind/body.

[manitou]

The bird of paradise lands on the hand that does not grasp.

 

 

Or...don't cast out so hard that you scare the fish away.

[Sahaj Nath]

I wanted to share something for all those people just starting out, or even for those people that have been traveling along the path for awhile now. I myself am just beginning my journey in learning the Internal Arts and was very happy to have found this, "Wonderful Zen parable" laid out by Garri Garripoli in his book Qigong: essence of the healing dance.

 

"A wonderful Zen parable talks of a new and ambitious student who just entered the monastery in Kyoto. After a few days of learning from the great Master of the temple, he went to the front of the other young monks and asked, "How long would it take me to become a Master as great as you?." The Master thought about it and replied, "Twenty years." The young monk, a bit frustrated, asked again, "If I study everyday for fifteen hours and without much sleep, how long then?" The Master pondered a little longer and said, "Thirty years." A bit angered, the young monk retorted, "What if I studied harder than all the other monks combined and sacrificed all my interests to show my devotion, how long then?"The great Master pondered a long time for an answer. After taking a sip of tea, he gently replied, "Forty years." With that the young monk stormed out of the temple and was never seen again. The other students were reminded how great their Master truly was."

 

I personally have been so caught up in trying to figure it all out at once; I want it all to happen now! Well what I am coming to realize is that it is always happening now and after decades of conditioning myself to living in the "illusion of form" I have blinded myself from myself. So for all those people out there just getting into something that you love to do, for all those people out there doing what you love to do: be sincere, pay attention, have fun, and trust yourself; don't worry about results, don't worry about how long it's going to take. Enjoy it while it's happening because it's always happening. For myself this is a very important lesson and something I will not forget, I will read this parable every morning when I wake up, so that I may be reminded of these simple truths.

 

Thanks for taking the time to look at this, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

 

Yes.

[Aaron]

So he was sort of like this?

 

http://youtu.be/1pm4fQRl72k

 

 

Aaron

Edited November 15, 2011 by Twinner

[Rishi Das]

Yes.

 

Thank you.

 

So he was sort of like this?

 

http://youtu.be/1pm4fQRl72k

 

[Ish]

Don't struggle, but do it.

Be effortless, but still do it.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Don't struggle, but do it.

Be effortless, but still do it.

 

 

 

 

Like breathing!

 

 

 

Oh yeah, and i see something i have to play with, pardon this:

 

 

 

Nothing in this world is as soft or as yielding as water... ... except maybe air? and then even still, magnetism and moreover chi! hah this is a fun world we live in, aye?