One of the things I enjoyed about A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle was the stories he told that illustrated the principles he was discussing. Here's one:
The Story of Tanzan and Ekido. Two Zen monks were walking along a country road that had become muddy after heavy rains. Near a village, they came upon a young woman who was trying to cross the road, but the mud was so deep it would have ruined the silk kimona she was wearing. Tanzan at once picked her up and carried her to the other side.
The monks walked on in silence. Five hours later, as they were approaching the lodging temple, Ekido couldn't restrain himself any longer, "Why did you carry that girl across the road?" he asked. "We monks are not supposed to do things like that."
"I put the girl down hours ago," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"
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pg. 141 "We can learn not to keep situations or events alive in our minds, but to return our attention continuously to the pristine, timeless present moment rather than be caught up in a mental movie-making. Our Presence becomes our identity rather than our thoughts and emotions."
1 comment:
I think of that story often.
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