Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, tells the story of when Master Hyakujo offered a test to his monks. The winner will be the abbot of the new monastery. He sets out a water jug and says, “Without using its name, what do you call it?” Without a word, without a thought, answer this question: Who are you? Without using a word, show what reality is. You can’t use a word or concept without using your mind. Philosophy is of the mind. Religion is of action. Thoughts are just a small part of you. Between n all your picking and choosing of thoughts, who are you? Don’t expect rewards for meditation or living in the moment. In order to understand the real universe, you need to lose the sense of the unreal world. Ishu Upanishad - The individual movement in the universal motion. A funny tale of a preacher at his first Sunday talk. Also the tale of the two boys sent on errands from two monasteries. One boy has clever answers to his questions about everything. The other boy wants a wise retort as well, and prepares an answer for the next day. Little does he know the other boy’s answer changed. Don’t rehearse. Allow the discomfort of uncertainty. Aug 19, 1984
