Monday, October 27, 2008

letter from a student to a zen master

One of my students sent me a letter, in which he wrote, 'Zen Master, I have a problem. You sent me a picture of Shakyamuni Buddha. I kept it on my desk. My one-year-old son climbed up onto the table and ate the Buddha. What should I do?' I sent him a letter saying, 'Your baby is stronger than Buddha, and is a great Zen master. He has no hindrance. You must learn everything from your son, then you will soon get enlightenment.'

Zen Master Seung Sahn in Wanting Enlightenment is a Big Mistake

Commentary:

Children have no hindrance. They just are. They live in the present moment free from prejudices about the world. We can learn a lot from them. A picture of a Buddha, anyway, is the not the real thing. It is just a picture. It is not sacred or holy. Its just a piece of photo-paper.

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