What is Enlightenment?

Ranch Hand

Posts: 239

posted 16 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

A student once asked his teacher, "Master, what is enlightenment?"
The master replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."

The above is a Zen parable.

Can somebody in this forum guess, what would be the hidden message of the Master?

You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. Like what "it" does not like - Gurdjieff

Ryan McGuire

Bartender

Posts: 1205

posted 16 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

There is no hidden message. The master's answer captures the essential essence of enlightenment.

The student gave the master an apple, and the master cut the apple in two for all to see. Do you see?

EDIT:

Even better...
The student gave the master an apple. The master ate the apple and gave the core back to the student.

Hmmm... even that doesn't seem to be what a Zen master would do with an apple. Any other ideas?
[ December 28, 2007: Message edited by: Ryan McGuire ]

He repaced his skull with glass. So you can see his brain. Kinda like this tiny ad:

a bit of art, as a gift, the permaculture playing cards

https://gardener-gift.com