| |
will have to have the courage to leave the mind aside. Push it aside and enter into your silence.' "
That was why Bodhidharma went to China. Obviously, it became a traditional question for every Zen student.
RYUGE WAS ASKED BY A MONK,
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF BODHIDHARMA COMING FROM THE WEST?"
RYUGE SAID, "WAIT TILL THE STONE TURTLE SPEAKS WORDS OF EXPLANATION AND I WILL TELL YOU."
Ryuge's temple was famous. He had a great turtle in front of his temple, cut out of a huge stone.
He said, "WAIT TILL THE STONE TURTLE SPEAKS WORDS OF EXPLANATION AND I WILL TELL YOU."
He is saying, "This is not a question to be asked. And if you insist, I give you time. Wait till the stone turtle starts speaking." Obviously it is absurd: that stone turtle is never going to give any explanations.
But Ryuge has answered in the Zen way, in the Zen language. "Wait" is the secret word. If you can wait silently, the meaning will shower on you like flowers. Or the meaning will arise in you like a flame. But wait!
Our minds are in such a hurry. We have completely forgotten the beauty of waiting. We want everything to happen quickly. But nobody considers that waiting has a beauty which you miss when you are running after shadows.
Ryuge's answer was perfectly right, "Wait till eternity. But wait; and you will find the meaning of Bodhidharma coming to China. The meaning will not be told to you by somebody else. It will arise in your own being. Just be silent."
THE MONK SAID, "THE STONE TURTLE HAS SPOKEN!"
These dialogues are immensely beautiful, a totally different play than Socratic dialogues or Martin Luther's dialogue. The monk thought himself competent enough to answer the question he himself has raised.
But you cannot deceive a master.
THE MONK SAID, "THE STONE TURTLE HAS SPOKEN!"
Now, if Ryuge had been just a teacher, he would have been embarrassed to continue. But Ryuge was an authentic master.
RYUGE SAID, "WHAT DID IT SAY TO YOU?"
THE MONK WAS SILENT.
Now he found that he was not competent enough to have a dialogue with a master, with an enlightened person... and
|
|
|