Merle and Kris, That doesn't surprise me for two reasons: 1. Sometimes I don't notice that someone is quoting someone else's post. 2. It does sound like something Kris would share.
Anyway, I liked it and thought it talked about a similar strategy used in koan study. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote: > > bill..i believe it was kris our resident guru who pointed us to this quote... > it is perfect ..merle > > Â > Merle, > > Good stuff indeed! I especially liked: > > "The one who is seeking the truth gets into a maze, and that maze interests > him. He wants to go through it a thousand times more. It is just like > children. Their whole interest is in running about; they do not want to see > the door and go in until they are very tired. So it is with grown-up people. > They all say that they are seeking truth, but they like the maze." > > This is koan study in a nutshell...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > good stuff.! > > Â > > Â merle > > Â > > > > > > > > Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan: > > > > Man likes complexity. He does not want to take only one > > step; it is more interesting to look forward to millions > > of steps. The one who is seeking the truth gets into a > > maze, and that maze interests him. He wants to go through > > it a thousand times more. It is just like children. Their > > whole interest is in running about; they do not want to > > see the door and go in until they are very tired. So it is > > with grown-up people. They all say that they are seeking > > truth, but they like the maze. That is why the mystics > > made the greatest truths a mystery, to be given only to > > the few who were ready for them, letting the others play > > because it was the time for them to play. > > > > For spiritual attainment we do not need to pay a tax, it > > is ours, it is our self, it is discovering our self, > > finding our self. Yet what one values is what one gets > > with difficulty. Man loves complexity so much! He makes a > > thing big and says, 'This is valuable'. If it is simple he > > says, 'It has no value'. That is why the ancient people, > > knowing human nature, told a person when he said he wanted > > spiritual attainment, 'Very well; for ten years go around > > the temple, walk around it a hundred times in the morning > > and in the evening. Go to the Ganges, take pitchers full > > of water during twenty or fifty years, then you will get > > inspiration'. That is what must be done with people who > > will not be satisfied with a simple explanation of the > > truth, who want complexity. > > > > We read in the Vadan, 'Simplicity is the living beauty.' > > Man today has made life so complex that whatever he seeks > > after, he wants to find in complexity. All things in life > > which have importance, beauty and value are simple; and > > simplest of all things is the divine truth. ... The truth > > is not a newly invented theory, not a dogma, not an idea; > > it is reality itself. At the back of it is the self of > > man; therefore it is simple. But it is not simplicity that > > man seeks, he is longing for complexity. Anything which > > will confuse he is glad to take interest in. If it is > > simple, he says, 'I know it already.' > > > > Man loves complexity and calls it knowledge. A great many > > societies and institutions in the world which call > > themselves occult, esoteric and psychic, and by various > > other names, knowing that everyone is interested in > > complexity, cover the truth. Instead of covering the truth > > with one cover, they cover it with a thousand covers to > > make it more interesting. ... Therefore, a mystic very > > often appears to be simple because sincerity makes him > > feel inclined to express the truth in simple language and > > in simple ideas. But because people value complexity, they > > think that what he says is too simple and that it is > > something which they have always known, that it is nothing > > new. However, as Solomon said, 'There is nothing new under > > the sun.' > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
