Tom and Sam were walking in the woods one day. Tom spotted a leaf along the path and bent to pick it up. Holding the leaf, he turned to Sam and said, “Behold the maple leaf. One it was part of a majestic tree, providing foliage and shade in the forest. Now it is just a leaf, lying on the ground, waiting to become compost.”
Sam held up his hand, bit s corner of his nail off, spit it on the ground, and said, “There is a fingernail. It is debris. So fucking what? Can we please just walk?”
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Envision
Envision the scene; a small wooded area with a pristine view, a small pond perfectly formed fed by an equally small stream. The entire scene is tucked back in an untraveled, uncharted area. Then one day a young man stumbled upon this beautiful place and made it his.
Once a month, he would come here to sit and contemplate his life and his problems. He knew enough to come by a different path each time so that others could not follow and find this place. He understood the sanctity of the place and the need to maintain the holiness of the environment.
In the ‘other world’ the young man was playing at stocks. He got to step on people and take money from others and destroy individuals. He made tons of money and was extremely good at what he did. He was very unhappy and miserable all the time. He could not find any happiness. None of his friends were very happy either.
Whenever he came to his hideaway, the world changed. He was happy and at peace. He found the cares of the world around him were gone and he was at peace with himself. His mind cleared and he could think much more logically. He began to meditate on his own, considering his life and the direction his was going. Soon he was coming to the place every two weeks.
One weekday, while on a lunch break, the man ventured into a small bookstore. While glancing around, he found a tiny book filled with stories called koans, life stories. They intrigued him so he bought the book. As he read the stories, he found they were confusing. They were philosophical but did not seem to provide any ending, no moral, no conclusion. They were riddles almost. The more you read one, the worse the riddle became.
Still, he kept the book around. The next time he went to the place, he took it with him. Here, he began to contemplate one of the koans as he mediated. Now he found he could concentrate better. Clarity was enhanced. Still the story was confusing and he failed to grasp it fully.
Many months passed. Now he was coming to the place weekly. Still he contemplated the koan and still he was unsuccessful in ‘solving’ it. Still, he continued to study the story and to think upon it.
One week, as he approached the pond, he found an older man sitting, waiting for him. Puzzled, he approached. The older man spoke first, “I’ve awaited you. Please enlighten me as to what you have learned.”
Though finding this odd, he did respond, “I have been mediating and studying a story. However, I fail to grasp the meaning of the …” Just then the older man interrupted, reached out, and hit the other one in the forehead with his open hand, very hard. In so doing, the younger man suddenly understood what he had failed to grasp in the story and he was enlightened.
They both remained.
Once a month, he would come here to sit and contemplate his life and his problems. He knew enough to come by a different path each time so that others could not follow and find this place. He understood the sanctity of the place and the need to maintain the holiness of the environment.
In the ‘other world’ the young man was playing at stocks. He got to step on people and take money from others and destroy individuals. He made tons of money and was extremely good at what he did. He was very unhappy and miserable all the time. He could not find any happiness. None of his friends were very happy either.
Whenever he came to his hideaway, the world changed. He was happy and at peace. He found the cares of the world around him were gone and he was at peace with himself. His mind cleared and he could think much more logically. He began to meditate on his own, considering his life and the direction his was going. Soon he was coming to the place every two weeks.
One weekday, while on a lunch break, the man ventured into a small bookstore. While glancing around, he found a tiny book filled with stories called koans, life stories. They intrigued him so he bought the book. As he read the stories, he found they were confusing. They were philosophical but did not seem to provide any ending, no moral, no conclusion. They were riddles almost. The more you read one, the worse the riddle became.
Still, he kept the book around. The next time he went to the place, he took it with him. Here, he began to contemplate one of the koans as he mediated. Now he found he could concentrate better. Clarity was enhanced. Still the story was confusing and he failed to grasp it fully.
Many months passed. Now he was coming to the place weekly. Still he contemplated the koan and still he was unsuccessful in ‘solving’ it. Still, he continued to study the story and to think upon it.
One week, as he approached the pond, he found an older man sitting, waiting for him. Puzzled, he approached. The older man spoke first, “I’ve awaited you. Please enlighten me as to what you have learned.”
Though finding this odd, he did respond, “I have been mediating and studying a story. However, I fail to grasp the meaning of the …” Just then the older man interrupted, reached out, and hit the other one in the forehead with his open hand, very hard. In so doing, the younger man suddenly understood what he had failed to grasp in the story and he was enlightened.
They both remained.
Wilderness
To be in the wilderness
Is to find oneself immersed
In the depth of world
In the height of nature
Yet to be set free of restraint
Is to find oneself immersed
In the depth of world
In the height of nature
Yet to be set free of restraint
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Finding Our Way
When the light is seen
The darkness vanishes
Confusion goes away
When wisdom does arise
This is how we find our way
On the path of life
The darkness vanishes
Confusion goes away
When wisdom does arise
This is how we find our way
On the path of life
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wind and Rain
When the wind blows
The grass bends
The leaves fall
The water ripples.
When the rain falls
The rivers run
The lakes flow
The oceans rise
When they don't
They don't
Yin yang
The grass bends
The leaves fall
The water ripples.
When the rain falls
The rivers run
The lakes flow
The oceans rise
When they don't
They don't
Yin yang
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)