Yunyan
Tansheng once told this parable: “Three
travelers noticed a man standing on a small hill looking out over the
landscape. The first traveler said,
‘Look at that man. I suppose he’s
searching the country round for an animal that has wandered from his
herd.’
“‘Not
at all,’ the second said, ‘he’s simply watching out for a friend who’s coming
to visit him.’
“‘Nonsense,’
said the third. ‘He’s just enjoying the
refreshing breeze.’
“The
travelers argued among themselves but weren’t able to come to agreement about
why the man was standing there. When
they came nearer to him, the first traveler called out to the man, ‘Are you
looking for a goat or sheep which has wandered from your flock?’
“‘I
don’t have any flocks,’ the man replied.
“‘Then
are you waiting for a friend?’ the second asked.
“‘No. I’m not waiting for a friend.’
“‘Ah,’
said the third. ‘It must be as I
expected that you’re just enjoying the refreshing breeze.’
“‘Not
particularly,’ the man said.
“‘Then
what are you doing?’ the three
travelers demanded.
“‘I’m just
standing here.’”
[Yunyan Tansheng – Zen Masters of China : 116-18,
129; The Story of Zen: 154]
No comments:
Post a Comment