Wake Up

[Pathless]

A monk used to sit cross legged and with a straight back all day, every day, meditating. One day, his master passed by, saw him, then turned around and stopped before the monk. He bonked him on the head and asked, "What are you doing sitting around?"
"I'm trying to become Buddha," said the hard-working monk.
The master nodded, shrugged, and grinned. He then turned around and loped over to where a brick was lying by a big boulder. The master picked up the brick and made a great show out of polishing it against the boulder, the whole time smiling ridiculously at his student.
The student, startled and somewhat appalled, jumped up and ran towards the master to get a closer look. "What are you doing?" the monk asked, agitated and peering even closer.
"I'm trying to turn this brick into a mirror."


*apologies to DT Suzuki, from whose book I took the liberty of ganking this story and retelling it in an American idiom.

[I, Brian]

That's a good story.

[Pathless]

Thanks. I left half of it out, actually, because I thought it might have more impact just like it is; but I may post the other half a bit later, because I can see how it might look incomplete or even confusing as it is.

Until then, on a related note:

"I don't seek enlightenment, nor am I deluded, I don't worship Buddha, nor am I disrespectful. I don't sit for long periods, nor am I lazy. I don't eat only once a day, nor am I a glutton. I am not contented, nor am I greedy. When the mind does not seek anything, this is called the Way."

--Jayata

[Pathless]

Continuing on with quotes, and proving that I don't have an original thought of my own:

"Nirvana and enlightenment are dead stumps to tie your donkey to. The twelve divisions of the scriptures are only lists of ghosts and sheets of paper fit to wipe dirt from your skin. All of your four merits and ten stages are mere ghosts lingering in decaying graves. Can these have anything to do with your salvation?"

--Te Shan