Tag: thief

Bible, illusion, love, meditaion, Photography, Religion, root, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q340. In the Bible, Proverbs 13:20 it says “You are the company that you keep.” What is this warning about?

Zen Fools

A. If you are the company you keep, the company you keep is you. In other words, you are one with the company you keep. Whoever you keep as company, your company is you. Whoever you meet, a wise man, foolish man, a thief, a robber or an imposter, he is you. If he is a thief, he is a thief because you think he is a thief. If he is a wise man, he is a wise man because you think so. In other words, seeing a person as a thief means having an illusion of a thief in your mind.

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This scripture means, therefore, that you should not discriminate when you meet people but see them as you or one with you. When you become one with others and other things, you can love your neighbours as yourself.

 

©Boo Ahm

 

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, emptiness, empty, Enlightenment, illusion, master, Meditation, Mind, Photography, root, self, student, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q273. Student: “Do a guest and a thief come together or separately?”

Zen Fools

A. Master: “Together all the time.”

Student: “How can I tell them apart?”

Master: “Speak to them. One who speaks to you is a thief, and the other who doesn’t is a guest.”

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Commentary:

Don’t mistake a guest as being dumb. If you ask him about the true-self, he never fails to give you a correct answer.

 

©Boo Ahm

 

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

 

 

 

Buddha, Buddhism, emptiness, empty, illusion, master, Meditation, Mind, Religion, root, self, student, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q261. Master: “When a guest comes, you should take care of him, but when a thief comes, you should turn him away.”

Zen Fools

A. Student: “How shall I take care of a guest?”

Master: “Don’t welcome him.”

Student: “How should I turn away a thief?”

Master: “Don’t reject him.”

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Commentary:

If there is anyone you should serve or fight against, you are still being deluded by illusions.

 

 

©Boo Ahm

 

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, illusion, Koan, master, Meditation, mindfulness, Practice, root, student, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q258. Master: “When a guest comes, you should take care of him, but when a thief comes, you should turn him away.”

Zen Fools

A. Student: “What is a guest?”

Master: “Just passed by.”

Student: “What is a thief?”

Master: “A guest.”

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Commentary:

What you think is a guest is a thief, and what you think is a thief is a guest.

 

©Boo Ahm

 

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, Happiness, illusion, master, Meditation, Mind, One, root, self, student, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q200. How can I discard ignorance and attain wisdom?

Zen Fools

A. Don’t try in vain to abandon one and attain the other. It’s like trying to discard the left and attain only the right. In fact, both are one when you know them. They only look separate and different from each other when you don’t know them. Try to realise what the ignorance is that you think you have, rather than striving to attain the wisdom you think you don’t have. Wisdom is none other than to know what ignorance is. Becoming Buddha is realising what a sentient being is.

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Student: “What shall I do when I have a thief in my house?”

Master: “Once you know him, he is not an enemy any longer.”

 

 

©Boo Ahm

 

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, emptiness, empty, final goal, Koan, Meditation, Mind, self, student, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q186. Student: “Why is it so difficult to express the true-self?”

Zen Fools

A. Master: “Not difficult at all.”

Student: “Do it for me, Sir.”

Master: “Difficult.”

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Commentary:

Don’t draw a bow after the thief ran away.

If I were asked to do it, I would say, “Easy”.

 

©Boo Ahm

 

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway