The Buddhists say there are eight winds. They are gain and loss,
praise and ridicule, credit and blame, and suffering and joy.
If you aren’t aware of them, they will blow you away like dry
leaves in an autumn breeze. For example, when someone praises
you, and that tastes sweet like candy in your mouth, you are
being blown away by the wind of praise.
One day in ancient China a young man thought he had become
enlightened.
He wrote a poem to his master about how he was not blown
by the eight winds. Then he sent it to his master who lived
300 miles up the Yangtze River.
When his master read the poem, he wrote “Fart, Fart” on
the bottom and sent it back.
The more the young man read those words, the more upset
he got.At last he decided to visit his master.
In those days, the 300 mile trip up the Yangtze River was
a very difficult journey. As soon as he arrived, he went
straight to his master’s temple.
“Why did you write this? he asked, bowing. “Doesn’t this poem
show that I am no longer blown about by the eight winds?”
“You say that you are no longer blown by the eight winds,”
replied the master, “but two little farts blew you all
the way up here.”
Gary Zukav, Soul Stories
No comments:
Post a Comment