A nice zen story that I read here.
So, it is all about interpreting the information. In this example, you as observer can appreciate both views. But in real life, you have only one view. So "I don't know that I don't know" plays a major role.
But, "I am" experience - the awareness - can remain independent of any view. There is no need to look at which is the right view. In above zen story, both monks are still the same; they both look at knowledge and talk out of that knowledge.
UG told us once: "I can't communicate that certainty to you! - and no one can!!". Because, that certainty can't be expressed as knowledge?
In ancient times travelling Zen monks when arriving at a monastry could challenge the resident monks for a theological contest for food and shelter.
One night, a monastry was occuped by two brothers - a wise monk with two eyes and a foolish monk with one eye. It was raining hard and a travelling monk knocked on the door. The wise brother suggested that he have a contest with his brother. Just 5 minutes later the contest was over. The travelling monk entered the room, bowed and admitted defeat. The wise brother asked: "Tell me what happened?"
The traveller replied: "We decided to debate in silence. I went first and showed a single finger signifying the Buddha. Your brother showed two fingers, meaning the Buddha and his teachings. I replied with 3 fingers, including the followers. Your brother showed me his fist proving that in reality the three are one". With that the poor monk ventured out into the stormy night.
Just then the angry foolish brother entered and fumed: "That man was so rude. We decided to have a silent debate and the first thing he indicated was to put up a single finger up meaning, "I see you have only one eye'. So I put up 2 fingers out of courtesy to him, meaning, 'I see you have 2 eyes.' But the guy put up 3 fingers telling me that together the two of us have 3 eyes. I got so mad, I shook my fist at him, indicating:"If you don't stop talking about eyes, I'm going to punch your lights out'"!
So, it is all about interpreting the information. In this example, you as observer can appreciate both views. But in real life, you have only one view. So "I don't know that I don't know" plays a major role.
But, "I am" experience - the awareness - can remain independent of any view. There is no need to look at which is the right view. In above zen story, both monks are still the same; they both look at knowledge and talk out of that knowledge.
UG told us once: "I can't communicate that certainty to you! - and no one can!!". Because, that certainty can't be expressed as knowledge?
posted by Vinod Kulkarni at 3:55 AM
