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the attendant means: throw this man out. "I have told in a small, summarized form my understanding of enlightenment. If he does not understand," he says, "it is better to call the attendant."
KYOZAN THEN COMMENTED: "FORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE NOW ATTAINED TO PATRIACHAL ZEN."
Kyozan was simply trying to figure out whether this man has reached the peak. What he said would be acceptable to the old Buddhist tradition. But now calling the attendant to throw him out would not be accepted by Buddha. But it would be accepted by Bodhidharma, the patriarch.
KYOZAN THEN COMMENTED: "Good, FORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE NOW ATTAINED TO PATRIARCHAL ZEN -- in a single moment. First you were talking the way traditional Buddhist priests talk. Now you are calling the attendant to beat you and throw you out. This shows that you have also understood the contribution of the patriarch, Bodhidharma."
Basho wrote:
CICADA -- DID IT
CHIRP TILL IT
KNEW NOTHING ELSE?
I have told you, Zen masters just note down their impressions of the world. And their impressions are certainly golden. They have clarity and subtlety.
Basho wrote:
CICADA -- DID IT
CHIRP TILL IT
KNEW NOTHING ELSE?
Just chirping, just chirping, the cicada did it without knowing anything else, utterly blissful, in tune with existence, no problem, no anxiety -- the cicada did it.
The whole existence is doing it except man. Man has got puzzled in his mind. Rather than seeing, he has started thinking. And our whole education, our whole society wants us to think, not to see, because we have hidden many ugly things around us. "Don't see them!" -- as if they are not there.
Life needs a total openness. The more open you are, the more existence you have.
Question 1
Maneesha has asked:
OUR BELOVED MASTER,
TO REMEMBER TO WITNESS, COULD IT BE HELPFUL TO START WITH ONE ROUTINE -- LIKE SHOWERING OR MAKING THE BED -- IN WHICH AS MUCH AWARENESS IS BROUGHT TO THE MOMENT AS POSSIBLE? THEN WHEN ONE IS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, ANOTHER ACTIVITY COULD BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE SAME MANNER. PERHAPS TRIGGERS COULD ALSO BE USED
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