The words of old Tcheng

October 16, 2002

Because you have become monks, followers of Buddha's Law and disciples of a

famous Superior, you think you are different from laymen, whom you look at

with condescension. Baldheads, you are as ignorant of the primordial spirit

as the grass in the field.

* * *

Baldheads, you surrender entirely to the will and whims of someone else whom

you have shoved above your heads to the point where you leave every thing to

him; you think that you have the right attitude and that in this way you are

carefree and desireless. In reality you only behave like very young monkeys

who do not leave their mother for a single moment but feverishly cling to

her because they are so afraid. As time passes by, you become like those

parched trees that all look alike in winter: when their time comes, they do

not grow any more leaves nor yield any more fruit. How can you hope to see

the primordial spirit with such a passive attitude?

Baldheads, you are already dead

* * *

The primordial spirit illuminates everyone. Some see it; others do not know

it. That is the only difference between them. As for you Baldheads, you are

like a drunkard who, on the outside of fence, frantically holds on to the

bamboos, screaming that he has been locked in, that he is innocent and

implores to be released.

Baldheads nobody imprisons you but you yourselves. How disastrous for you!

( To be continued )

Jai Sri Ramana

Ramana Sarma

October 16, 2002

This old Tcheng gives a very good prick! Excellent!

In HIM

Gabriele

RamanaMaharshi, venkata ramana sarma podury

<rpodury@g...> wrote:

> Because you have become monks, followers of Buddha's Law and

disciples of a

> famous Superior, you think you are different from laymen, whom you

look at

> with condescension. Baldheads, you are as ignorant of the

primordial spirit

> as the grass in the field.

>

> * * *

>

> Baldheads, you surrender entirely to the will and whims of someone

else whom

> you have shoved above your heads to the point where you leave every

thing to

> him; you think that you have the right attitude and that in this

way you are

> carefree and desireless. In reality you only behave like very young

monkeys

> who do not leave their mother for a single moment but feverishly

cling to

> her because they are so afraid. As time passes by, you become like

those

> parched trees that all look alike in winter: when their time comes,

they do

> not grow any more leaves nor yield any more fruit. How can you hope

to see

> the primordial spirit with such a passive attitude?

>

> Baldheads, you are already dead

>

> * * *

>

> The primordial spirit illuminates everyone. Some see it; others do

not know

> it. That is the only difference between them. As for you Baldheads,

you are

> like a drunkard who, on the outside of fence, frantically holds on

to the

> bamboos, screaming that he has been locked in, that he is innocent

and

> implores to be released.

>

> Baldheads nobody imprisons you but you yourselves. How disastrous

for you!

>

> ( To be

continued )

>

> Jai Sri Ramana

> Ramana Sarma

October 16, 2002

Amusing as these cha'n texts are we must remember they were written for monks

who had taken an

overdose of efforting and needed the Master's antidote .The Monks had a great

foundation of

spiritual practice .Ramana's way is for the householder not the monk .For the

contemporary

Vedantic monastic way would be with Ramakrishna or Sivananda etc .Ramana's way

of Self Enquiry ,

Diving Into the Heart and Self surrender plus an understanding of Advaita

Philosophy make these

texts interesting curiosities as guidance for those on the Buddhist Monastic

Path .There is a

danger that they lead to a spiritual apathy{like the pop teachers of neo-

Advaita who tell people

there is nothing to do or can do , and just make their admirers feel at ease

with themselves }

unless seen as written for Monks who had already done many years of meditation

and were struck by

a staff if attention wavered . Alan

c

<tt>