Guest guest Posted October 21, 2002 Report Share Posted October 21, 2002 Ripped off from another list. -Bill Constant Awareness No Zen student would presume to teach others until he had lived with his master for at least ten years. Tenno, having completed his ten years of apprenticeship, acquired the rank of teacher. One day he went to visit the master Nan-in. It was a rainy day, so Tenno wore wooden clogs & carried an umbrella. When he walked in, Nan-in greeted him with " You left your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch, didn't you? Tell me, did you place your umbrella on the right side of the clogs or on the left? " Tenno was embarrassed, for he did not know the answer. He realized he lacked awareness. So he became Nan-in's student and labored for another ten years to acquire constant awareness. ================================= The person who is ceaselessly aware; the person who is totally present at each moment: behold the master! Anthony de Mello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2002 Report Share Posted October 21, 2002 Constant awareness of this sort is a personal accomplishment which can be tested in the context of a master/student relationship. Such role and achivement is emphasized in the culture of Zen, which has a structure, roles, an organization, focus, and themes -- just as do other religious cultures, including Christianity, Judaism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Islam, and so on. -- Dan Nisargadatta, " Bill Rishel " <plexus@x> wrote: > Ripped off from another list. > -Bill > > > > Constant Awareness > > No Zen student would presume to teach > others until he had lived with his > master for at least ten years. > > Tenno, having completed his ten years > of apprenticeship, acquired the rank of teacher. > One day he went to visit the master > Nan-in. It was a rainy day, so Tenno > wore wooden clogs & carried an umbrella. > > When he walked in, Nan-in greeted him > with " You left your wooden clogs > and umbrella on the porch, didn't > you? Tell me, did you place your > umbrella on the right side of the > clogs or on the left? " > > Tenno was embarrassed, for he did not know > the answer. He realized he lacked > awareness. So he became Nan-in's student > and labored for another ten years > to acquire constant awareness. > > ================================= > > The person who is ceaselessly aware; the person who is > totally present at each moment: behold the master! > > Anthony de Mello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2002 Report Share Posted October 21, 2002 Forgetting or remembering where one left one's umbrella has little to do with 'constant awareness', but 'constant awareness of things' which is mostly mind clutter. What Tenno should have said was " umbrella lies to the right side of clogs, Nan-in, now tell me which direction I am facing for that to be true " and turned the tables on the bastard. Maybe Tenno could have had Nan-in wash his dishes for 10 years. Nisargadatta, " Bill Rishel " <plexus@x> wrote: > Ripped off from another list. > -Bill > > > > Constant Awareness > > No Zen student would presume to teach > others until he had lived with his > master for at least ten years. > > Tenno, having completed his ten years > of apprenticeship, acquired the rank of teacher. > One day he went to visit the master > Nan-in. It was a rainy day, so Tenno > wore wooden clogs & carried an umbrella. > > When he walked in, Nan-in greeted him > with " You left your wooden clogs > and umbrella on the porch, didn't > you? Tell me, did you place your > umbrella on the right side of the > clogs or on the left? " > > Tenno was embarrassed, for he did not know > the answer. He realized he lacked > awareness. So he became Nan-in's student > and labored for another ten years > to acquire constant awareness. > > ================================= > > The person who is ceaselessly aware; the person who is > totally present at each moment: behold the master! > > Anthony de Mello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2002 Report Share Posted October 21, 2002 I agree with you. After sending that message I struck me that the story implies an odd literalness about awareness that seems artificial. When you say, " Forgetting or remembering where one left one's umbrella has little to do with 'constant awareness', but 'constant awareness of things' which is mostly mind clutter. " you seem to put your finger on what was bothering me about the story. -Bill trem23 [inmadison] Monday, October 21, 2002 12:43 PM Nisargadatta Re: Constant Awareness Forgetting or remembering where one left one's umbrella has little to do with 'constant awareness', but 'constant awareness of things' which is mostly mind clutter. What Tenno should have said was " umbrella lies to the right side of clogs, Nan-in, now tell me which direction I am facing for that to be true " and turned the tables on the bastard. Maybe Tenno could have had Nan-in wash his dishes for 10 years. Nisargadatta, " Bill Rishel " <plexus@x> wrote: > Ripped off from another list. > -Bill > > > > Constant Awareness > > No Zen student would presume to teach > others until he had lived with his > master for at least ten years. > > Tenno, having completed his ten years > of apprenticeship, acquired the rank of teacher. > One day he went to visit the master > Nan-in. It was a rainy day, so Tenno > wore wooden clogs & carried an umbrella. > > When he walked in, Nan-in greeted him > with " You left your wooden clogs > and umbrella on the porch, didn't > you? Tell me, did you place your > umbrella on the right side of the > clogs or on the left? " > > Tenno was embarrassed, for he did not know > the answer. He realized he lacked > awareness. So he became Nan-in's student > and labored for another ten years > to acquire constant awareness. > > ================================= > > The person who is ceaselessly aware; the person who is > totally present at each moment: behold the master! > > Anthony de Mello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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