A. The wind was blowing a temple flag, and two monks were arguing about the flag. One said, “The flag is moving.” The other said, “The wind is moving.” They could not agree, no matter how hard they debated. Then, the sixth patriarch, Huineng, happening to come by and overhearing this, said, “Not the wind, not the flag. It is the mind that is moving!” The two monks were struck with awe.
Student: “The two monks were struck with awe by the saying ‘The wind is moving’. Why can’t I feel the same way as they did?”
Master: “Because you think that he said ‘The mind is moving'”
Student: “What did he say?”
Master: “The mind is moving.”
Commentary:
Don’t regard an order to get out of a house as an invitation to go into another house.
The wise never enter any other house after getting out of a house.
You should stand alone in a barren field without any shelter to enter.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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