One day Ananda said to the Buddha, “Sir, when I went to the castle today, I saw a peculiar thing.” The Buddha said, “What peculiar thing did you see?” Ananda said, “When I entered the castle, I saw a group of people dancing, but I didn’t see them dancing at all when I came out of the castle.” The Buddha said, “I also saw an unusual thing when I entered the castle yesterday.” Ananda asked, “What unusual thing did you see?” The Buddha answered, “When I entered the castle, I saw a group of people dancing, and I saw them still dancing when I left the castle.”
Student: “What were the peculiar things that the Buddha and Ananda saw?”
Master: “Why don’t you see the peculiar thing now?”
Student: “I don’t see anything peculiar now.”
Master: “I am seeing it now, but you are not although we are together in the same place at the same time. How peculiar it is!”
Commentary:
The one peculiar thing you see is more important than thousands of peculiar things that the Buddha and Ananda saw.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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