at night in the dojo,some monks had a chat about perfection. the first said: be like an ocean of compassion! the second said:have detachment to acquire a clear vision ! and the third:practice a perfect zazen to reach the knowledge! no,no,no..replied master oshiba: compassion is the worst form of selfishness if you're only able to kiss the sandals of the first bagger on your path.. detachment,is the worst form of illusion:your wisdom will light up the dojo,but once at the market you'll be unable to compare two melons! knowledge is the worst form of contempt,be a wiseman not a master, practice zazen like unbereable little monkeys and you will be able to compare melons !
Nicely enigmatic. What I know is that Zazen is a Japanese word meaning sitting Zen, the lotus position. This means meditation or concentration, so the meaning of this is emptying the mind....to sharpen concentration. Quite deep.
A worthy lesson and a very nicely written piece. Bravo!!
lorentzOPhalifax, Nova Scotia CanadaAug 24, 2011
thanx for master oshiba's wisdom guys..I am only the medium.. yes.I had a stay in a zen dojo by strasburg..a majority of young german monks..zazen and beer drinking session !
FellsmanLake District, Cumbria, England UKAug 24, 2011
Hi lorentz
This ultra deep philosophy is way over my head, despite this there is a compulsion in your narrative to read and re-read it. Alas, I am still trying to figure out why the Master Oshiba regards knowledge as the worst form of contempt, as without knowledge he could not have achieved his exalted position.
An intriguing write which fulfills the poets requirement of making the reader think...
Kudos
Bill
lorentzOPhalifax, Nova Scotia CanadaAug 24, 2011
zen spirit is something weirdoo and apparently totaly contradictory..zen says: if you meet the buddah on your way,kill him..Iam sadly unable to make the right choice in matter of love and melons !
kudos is a famous african antelope !
pilgrimageofloveSydney, New South Wales AustraliaAug 24, 2011
thank you for introducing master oshiba to us. I'll say no more.
thelmatallaGeneva, SwitzerlandAug 25, 2011
This is a classic enigmatic piece of Zen & Zazen. Emptying the mind or clearing our head to be sharp! The Tao is the same principle but it concentrates on the present, the here & now, a wisdom not easy to apply in real life. If there's something more enlightening you should not stop sharing, some people like me appreciate it Lorentz!
RedexNorthumberland, England UKAug 25, 2011
Loved this, when we can be a melon, or monkey, or even smelly sandels, inner peacefulness is attained.
Comments (9)
yes.I had a stay in a zen dojo by strasburg..a majority of young
german monks..zazen and beer drinking session !
This ultra deep philosophy is way over my head, despite this there is a compulsion in your narrative to read and re-read it. Alas, I am still trying to figure out why the Master Oshiba regards knowledge as the worst form of contempt, as without knowledge he could not have achieved his exalted position.
An intriguing write which fulfills the poets requirement of making the reader think...
Kudos
Bill
kudos is a famous african antelope !