Thursday, December 29, 2005

Every minute Zen

Amma always reminds all who come to Her to be aware of each moment. Amma compares living in this world as to sitting in an exam hall and writing the exam. You should be really alert. And when the bell rings, you have to leave. Amma's examples are always very simple. Sometimes they are so simple that we miss the whole point. But the great masters explain things in a lot of different ways.

Zen students are with their masters at least two years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wodden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: "I suppose you left your wooden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the right or left side of the clogs."

Tenno, confused, had no instant answer. He realized that he was unable to carry his Zen every minute. He became Nan-in's pupil, and he studied six more years to accomplish his every-minute Zen.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

What difference does it make where the umbrella is places.

Many a times the koan is the answer itself :-d

Many people I know do not read Mulla Nassrudin.
He was a Sufi. Sufi and Zen is quite similar.

http://amarjyoti.com/displayarticle57.html

http://amarjyoti.com/displayarticle54.html


Regards
Amar

Shiv said...

The difference is in the lesson learnt by the student. The place of the umbrella is ofcourse, insignificant. But what is significant is the awareness.

Anonymous said...

How does awareness help ?


Amar

Shiv said...

Come on, you are the director of a growing company. You, of all the people should know the answer to that question.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Shiv...
Here's what I learnt a director of a growing company should be aware :-D

Why I still do not know.... But if you say.. it "must be true..." (refer to the TATA indica ad)

On a serious note... I always thought that being aware means linking things with the past. which means you are no longer in the present but you are in the past.
e.g. in an exam hall if you sit in the class thinking about the bell... you are aware that the bell will ring and you have to go (which is something you have learnt from the your past)... but then are you in the present moment... writing the exam.
When Nan-in goes to see his friend... it does not matter where the umbrella... what matters is that he is with his friend...


Just my silly views. (I don't have 2 cents with me, else I would have given my 2 cents )

Amar

Shiv said...

After training the new recruits and helping other kids during the same shift, this is what I learnt:
"Awareness is rm -rf ..."

>>When Nan-in goes to see his friend... it does not matter where the umbrella... what matters is that he is with his friend...
Yes you are right. But he was not with his umbrella when he kept it outside. :-)

Anonymous said...

I though he was with himself before he met his friend ;-)

Shiv said...

mu ha ha

Anonymous said...

"Many people I know do not read Mulla Nassrudin.
He was a Sufi. Sufi and Zen is quite similar. "

Aankaryam bole to ChenaKaryam. So you mean to say, Umbrella can be left if you read Mulla Nassrudin?

Yevanekke aara comment cheyyan license kodukunnathu?

-lomax

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