Monday, May 31, 2010
How mind deceives
If a disease is asked to choose a medicine, it will never choose one that endangers its existence. Our mind often makes such choices !
Monday, May 24, 2010
two gates
A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"
"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.
"I am a samurai", the warrior replied.
"You, a soldier!" sneered Hakuin, "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? You look like a beggar".
Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword.
Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably to dull to cut off my head."
Nobushige drew his sword.
Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"
At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, put away his sword and bowed.
"Here open the gates of paradise", said Hakuin.
"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.
"I am a samurai", the warrior replied.
"You, a soldier!" sneered Hakuin, "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? You look like a beggar".
Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword.
Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably to dull to cut off my head."
Nobushige drew his sword.
Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"
At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, put away his sword and bowed.
"Here open the gates of paradise", said Hakuin.
Are we carrying the lantern
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don’t have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can’t you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
Are we still carrying the lantern that is burned out?
Contemplate
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don’t have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can’t you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
Are we still carrying the lantern that is burned out?
Contemplate
"A piece of truth forms belief", Truth is what elephant is to blind man
One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man who 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."
Truth is like an elephant to four blind man
To answer the questions on God and truth, Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to find out what the elephant would "look" like.
The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the "appearance" of an elephant.
we are not only touching the elephant but in fact we are constantly in touch with truth so imagine ho many versions of truth have been said so far !
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."
Truth is like an elephant to four blind man
To answer the questions on God and truth, Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to find out what the elephant would "look" like.
The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the "appearance" of an elephant.
we are not only touching the elephant but in fact we are constantly in touch with truth so imagine ho many versions of truth have been said so far !
Advaitic and Dvaitic school of thoughts
Ek Kahun To Hai Nahin, Do Kahun To Gaari
Hai Jaisa Taisa Rahe, Kahe Kabir Bichari
Literal Translation
If I say one, It is not
If I say two, it will be a violation
Let 'It' be what 'It' is
says Kabir upon contemplation
Explanation
This Doha is an illustration of Kabir mysticism that parallels the Zen Koans.
Kabir here is alluding to the futility of describing the cosmic experience. In that vein, he underscores the limited vision of both the Advaitic (one God) and Dvaitic (God is separate from the devotee) schools of thought. He says that the final experience is what it is and cannot be cast into any thought, words or description. A first-hand direct experience is the only way of knowing. And when that happens all else becomes literally irrelevant.
from
Hai Jaisa Taisa Rahe, Kahe Kabir Bichari
Literal Translation
If I say one, It is not
If I say two, it will be a violation
Let 'It' be what 'It' is
says Kabir upon contemplation
Explanation
This Doha is an illustration of Kabir mysticism that parallels the Zen Koans.
Kabir here is alluding to the futility of describing the cosmic experience. In that vein, he underscores the limited vision of both the Advaitic (one God) and Dvaitic (God is separate from the devotee) schools of thought. He says that the final experience is what it is and cannot be cast into any thought, words or description. A first-hand direct experience is the only way of knowing. And when that happens all else becomes literally irrelevant.
from
Understanding behind giving
Understanding behind GIVING
I come across many people who want to help "Others", do good things to "others", want to donate or GIVE to others (tell you later why this term "Others" is so important. They have genuine intention to help, do good for others, in fact many go ahead execute their thoughts. however they start saying that the person they helped did not reciprocate or did not oblige. Somewhere in the corner of their mind, they have an expectation that their work will be recognised, appreciated or reciprocated in some way. If this doesn't happen then, they get hurt and then things that were done with good intentions also makes them sad and with lot of grief.
This happened because there was no understanding behind GIVING.
This feeling of grief and sadness has arise to the giver because he thought he is giving to "Other". Actually there is no "other". The consciousness within the giver and the taker is same.
if you give with right understanding it will give immense happiness and never ever you will get hurt. You will fell free from whatever is the outcome.
Kabir in one of his doha has said
"Whatever I am giving belongs to HIM (almighty GOD)"
"To whom I am giving, he/she belongs HIM"
"One Who is giving, also belongs to HIM"
I come across many people who want to help "Others", do good things to "others", want to donate or GIVE to others (tell you later why this term "Others" is so important. They have genuine intention to help, do good for others, in fact many go ahead execute their thoughts. however they start saying that the person they helped did not reciprocate or did not oblige. Somewhere in the corner of their mind, they have an expectation that their work will be recognised, appreciated or reciprocated in some way. If this doesn't happen then, they get hurt and then things that were done with good intentions also makes them sad and with lot of grief.
This happened because there was no understanding behind GIVING.
This feeling of grief and sadness has arise to the giver because he thought he is giving to "Other". Actually there is no "other". The consciousness within the giver and the taker is same.
if you give with right understanding it will give immense happiness and never ever you will get hurt. You will fell free from whatever is the outcome.
Kabir in one of his doha has said
"Whatever I am giving belongs to HIM (almighty GOD)"
"To whom I am giving, he/she belongs HIM"
"One Who is giving, also belongs to HIM"
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Dream
Dreaming
The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and found himself laying there, a person once again.
But then he thought to himself,
"Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"
The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and found himself laying there, a person once again.
But then he thought to himself,
"Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"
Its my nature
The Nature of Things
Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung.
The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"
"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."
Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung.
The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"
"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."
We'll see
We'll See...
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.
"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.
"We'll see," the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.
"How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.
"We'll see," replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
"We'll see," answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
"We'll see" said the farmer.
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.
"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.
"We'll see," the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.
"How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.
"We'll see," replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
"We'll see," answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
"We'll see" said the farmer.
A cup of tea
A CUP OF TEA
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow 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?"
Courtesy of
http://101-zen-stories.blogspot.com/9999/12/cup-of-tea.html
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow 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?"
Courtesy of
http://101-zen-stories.blogspot.com/9999/12/cup-of-tea.html
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