well duh!

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This is forwarded from ANetof Jewels list.

 

Message: 1 Mon, 18 Jun 2001 13:27:23 -0000 "Paul Cote"

<pjcote (AT) lycos (DOT) com>well duh! The teachers, seventy year

old Kalu Rinpoche of Tibet, a veteranof years of solitary retreat,

and the Zen master Seung Sahn, thefirst Korean Zen master to teach in

the United States, were totest each other's understanding of the

Buddha's teachings forthe benefit of the onlooking Western students.

This was to be ahigh form of what was being called dharma-combat (the

clashingof great minds sharpened by years of study and meditation),

and wewere waiting with all the anticipation that such a

historicencounter deserved. The two monks entered with swirling

robes --maroon and yellow for the Tibetan, austere grey and black

forthe Korean -- and were followed by retinues of younger monks

andtranslators with shaven heads. They settled onto cushions in

thefamiliar cross-legged positions, and the host made it clear

thatthe younger Zen master was to begin. The Tibetan lama sat

verystill, fingering a wooden rosary(mala) with one hand

whilemurmuring, "Om Mani Peme Hung" continuously under his breath.

The Zen master, who was already gaining renown for his method

ofhurling questions at his students until they were forced to

admittheir ignorance and then bellowing, "Keep that don't know

mind!"at them, reached deep inside his robes and drew out an orange.

"What is this?" he demanded of the lama. "What is this?"This was a

typical opening question, and we could feel him ready topounce on

whatever response he was given. The Tibetan sat quietly fingering

his mala and made no move torespond. "What is this?" the Zen

master insisted, holding the orange upto the Tibetan's nose. Kalu

Rinpoche bent very slowly to the Tibetan monk near to himwho was

serving as the translator, and they whispered back andforth for

several minutes. Finally the translator addressed the

room:"Rinpoche says, 'What is the matter with him? Don'tthey have

oranges where he comes from?"The dialog progressed no

further.================Mark EpsteinThoughts without a Thinkerabout

psychotherapy from a Buddhist perspective