Bill, Suchness. I remember listening to Alan watts tell a story about a teacher who would hold up a matchbox and ask the students what it was. Someone said, "matchbox", but the teacher explained that "matchbox" is just sound and then he'd throw it to them and ask, "So what is it?".
________________________________ From: William Rintala <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, 2 September 2012, 17:43 Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: There's still a bowl? I suppose that it points to ridding the mind of all preconceptions, of seeing things as they are and not what they are labeled. Bill Find what makes your heart sing…and do it! ________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sun, September 2, 2012 10:58:07 AM Subject: [Zen] Re: There's still a bowl? Bill, I am underwhelmed by these cute Zen anecdotes. In not too many words, what is the great truth being pointed at in this one? --ED --- In [email protected], William Rintala <brintala@...> wrote: > > Mike's question brought up memories of my earlier readings on Zen. The idea > of > going beyond words and labeling things. The story that went something > like "A > teacher placed a bowl in the center of a groud of monks and asked them to > tell > him what it was. After several erudite philosophical responses one monk got > up > and kicked the bowl." I may be mis-remembering the specifics but it went > something like that. I can understand intellectually what going beyond > words > but getting to that place has proved most difficult. > Bill
