![]() ![]() It is about bringing your awareness to the present. So how can we be happy, when we know that pain, sorrow, and death are inevitable? The answer lies in the present moment. Regardless of how much effort you put in, there will always be a void of nothingness behind you countered only by an even larger expanse of infinity ahead. We are mortal beings and death is the reality that each and every one of us will have to face. There are many Zen Koans on living in the moment, but this is perhaps the most powerful koan on mindfulness. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. ![]() Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. A parableĪ man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. Related: Emotional Muscle Memory: How To Release Painful Emotions Trapped In Your Body 4. This challenges you to release rigid views, opinions, and expectations. When you pour out what you have learned from the ‘cup of your mind’, you are actually letting go of the attachment of your ego to your learning and memory. What we learn will always be retained in some capacity, like in your subconscious mind and our muscle memory. However, the reality is that it is nearly impossible to forget what you have learned. The idea of the teacup being overflowing is a strong reference that reminds us to let go of things so that we can make space for new things and experiences to flow into our lives. It challenges us to be sharp and free ourselves from our rigid thinking. This is a popular Koan that focuses on the value of learning, unlearning, and relearning. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?” “Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. ![]() The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Morality is a muddy path just like the one these two monks were walking on. Sometimes we can do wrong by doing the right thing, while at other times we can do right by doing what is conventionally wrong. We follow certain rules and laws in life which we believe can help us live better and allow us to segregate wrongdoings from right doings. The human condition is not definite or decided and life is unreasonably situational. Being a victim of his past, Ekido is unable to enjoy the beauty of the dynamic and fleeting present moment. As Ekido is busy judging the actions Tanzan and determining whether what he did is right or wrong, Ekido becomes trapped in the static past. This koan teaches us what we perceive as right and wrong are based on our perception of the world and solely exist inside our minds. “We monks don’t go near females,” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and lovely ones. Then he no longer could restrain himself. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.Įkido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection. Tanzan and Ekido, two monks, were once traveling together down a muddy road. The objective is to experience life without allowing all the struggles and challenges to prevent us from living our best life. And tears and laughter can be the perfect tools that allow us to navigate through this absurdity. But that is the beauty of life.īetween developing an impressive sense of humor through life’s struggles and the pain of learning valuable life lessons, life shows us how absurd and futile it can often be. Life is imperfect and not everything has to make sense all the time. It can be profoundly meaningful and completely meaningless at the same time. Sometimes we fall and learn to stand back up again, while other times we fall and just get injured. However, sometimes bad luck is just that, bad luck. Often the opportunity is disguised as challenges and struggles, good luck is disguised by bad luck. In life, we will face several moments where we will be judged, criticized, blamed, and accused whether we do something or not. “Your candle has burned out, brother,” replied the stranger.įutility and absurdity are ingrained into the very essence of life. ![]()
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