A. There is a nice dialogue between an ancient master and his student: “Where is the Buddha when people are suffering in the chaos of revolt?” “He hides himself amidst flames during the chaos of revolt”. This says that although he is always with us as usual and has never left us, we don’t recognise him since we are deluded by flames, our illusions. In other words, we don’t recognise him since we have our eyes and ears covered with the labels, illusions of our own creation.
That’s why we should try to see and hear things without attaching any labels to what reaches our eyes and ears. It is not because he hides himself, or forsakes us but because people don’t recognise him that people are not relieved by the Buddha, or God from the suffering of the chaos of revolt.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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