zen teachings online vol. 1

This one is dedicated to Zen, who has been posting Eastern philosophy on her blog:


A renowned Zen master said that his greatest teaching was this: Buddha is your own mind. So impressed by how profound this idea was, one monk decided to leave the monastery and retreat to the wilderness to meditate on this insight. There he spent 20 years as a hermit probing the great teaching.

One day he met another monk who was traveling through the forest. Quickly the hermit monk learned that the traveler also had studied under the same Zen master. "Please, tell me what you know of the master's greatest teaching." The traveler's eyes lit up, "Ah, the master has been very clear about this. He says that his greatest teaching is this: Buddha is NOT your own mind.


I've got a bunch of these at home, in my three volumes of People's Almanac books written by Book Of Lists authors David Wallace and Irving Wallechinsky. But I found this one online, and what's funny is that there were comments at the bottom, gauging readers' reactions.

Most of the comments were people's thoughts as to who was more correct: the first monk or the second monk. I think it's funny because it's plain to me that they are both correct, which is also to say that they are both wrong.

I will probably post more of these as the week goes on.


*/*


Ever feel like you've been pulled into someone's personal orbit?

I paid a visit last night. I had a veggie sandwich in my hand.

She said the door was open, and I entered, and she was on her bed, watching Kill Bill Vol. 1 and smoking a cigarette.

She put Vol. 2 into the DVD player and we watched it together. No cuddles, no sudden moves...

When I rose to leave after the movie was done, it was as if I was unable to say 'goodbye'. It was one of those prolonged farewells, when you feel like you'll be branded the Ultimate Fool for turning around and closing the door behind you.

We kept talking, standing there, both of us wanting to obey passion's dictates but knowing that it would just send us further down into the mire of our tangled emotions.

Finally, we embraced, and I pulled away slowly, because as much as I wanted to hold her I also knew I couldn't keep holding on for long.

I'll see her tonight. We will work on art. I hope she is smiling, and if she is not-- well, I just hope she'll allow me to make her laugh.