-- Half Approve, Half Not Approve --
Zen Master Dongshan hosted a feast of commemoration on the anniversary of his master Yunyan's death.
A monk asked, "When you were at Yunyan's place, what teaching did he give you?"
Dongshan said, "Although I was there, I didn't receive any teaching."
The monk asked, "But you are holding a commemorative feast for the late teacher. Doesn't that show you approve his teaching?"
Dongshan said, "Half approve. Half not approve."
The monk said, "Why don't you completely approve of it?"
Dongshan said, "If I completely approved, then I would be disloyal to my late teacher."
A monk asked, "When you were at Yunyan's place, what teaching did he give you?"
Dongshan said, "Although I was there, I didn't receive any teaching."
The monk asked, "But you are holding a commemorative feast for the late teacher. Doesn't that show you approve his teaching?"
Dongshan said, "Half approve. Half not approve."
The monk said, "Why don't you completely approve of it?"
Dongshan said, "If I completely approved, then I would be disloyal to my late teacher."
----!!!!----
One of my favourite Zen Story!
Understand this! Whatever can be expressed in words, is not the ultimate truth. But even Buddhas have to speak. Because if they do not speak anything, you will not start the journey of meditation. But if you stick to those words you will get misguided, because no words can encompass 'it'. Those words are just to provoke you to dive into the wordless. Those words are to inspire you to meditate.
But people are very strange! Someone has mugged up the words of Bhagvad Gita, someone has mugged up the words of Koran, Bible and so on and they think they have known 'that'! And they are ready to argue and fight with those who have faith over a different scripture, a different set of words. A couple of years ago one lady from Pakistan added me in her friend list. Everyday she used to tell me that Islam is the best religion. I said people belonging to any religion say the same that their religion is the best. She said, "No! You just focus on Islam. Get converted to Islam." Everyday she gave me links for many Islamic materials to read and said that she expects that one day I will get converted to Islam. I said, "I am utterly against Islam because I am against all the organized religions. If something is right in any religion, I accept it. If something is wrong in any religion I deny it." She said, "You idiot! Why don't you understand that Islam is the best!" When she got tired of convincing me, she blocked the idiot, that is me!
Zen laughs at your childish behavior!
No! Zen is utterly against all the faith systems. Zen doesn't give you a faith system. Zen is utterly against all your scriptures and doctrines, including the doctrines about Zen!!!
Zen has only one message: Meditate! Zen doesn't rely upon words. Hui-Neng is right:
"If one relies on words in various Buddhist texts,
the meaning of the Buddha cannot be attained!"
Understand this! Whatever can be expressed in words, is not the ultimate truth. But even Buddhas have to speak. Because if they do not speak anything, you will not start the journey of meditation. But if you stick to those words you will get misguided, because no words can encompass 'it'. Those words are just to provoke you to dive into the wordless. Those words are to inspire you to meditate.
But people are very strange! Someone has mugged up the words of Bhagvad Gita, someone has mugged up the words of Koran, Bible and so on and they think they have known 'that'! And they are ready to argue and fight with those who have faith over a different scripture, a different set of words. A couple of years ago one lady from Pakistan added me in her friend list. Everyday she used to tell me that Islam is the best religion. I said people belonging to any religion say the same that their religion is the best. She said, "No! You just focus on Islam. Get converted to Islam." Everyday she gave me links for many Islamic materials to read and said that she expects that one day I will get converted to Islam. I said, "I am utterly against Islam because I am against all the organized religions. If something is right in any religion, I accept it. If something is wrong in any religion I deny it." She said, "You idiot! Why don't you understand that Islam is the best!" When she got tired of convincing me, she blocked the idiot, that is me!
Zen laughs at your childish behavior!
No! Zen is utterly against all the faith systems. Zen doesn't give you a faith system. Zen is utterly against all your scriptures and doctrines, including the doctrines about Zen!!!
Zen has only one message: Meditate! Zen doesn't rely upon words. Hui-Neng is right:
"If one relies on words in various Buddhist texts,
the meaning of the Buddha cannot be attained!"
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