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Post by henry on May 8, 2007 15:51:56 GMT -5
A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!
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Post by Arachis on May 8, 2007 19:16:02 GMT -5
interesting...
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Post by henry on May 8, 2007 19:41:18 GMT -5
My eastern religion professor told us this the other day. Like the other zen parables that I've heard, it delivers a simple message in a very powerful way. I thought you guys might like it.
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Post by dietspam16 on May 9, 2007 15:13:36 GMT -5
I much prefer Daoism to Zen, but this is a very good parable.
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Post by Monolith on May 9, 2007 15:22:22 GMT -5
Very simple message? Like those mice are bitches?
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Post by BlueDolphin on May 9, 2007 15:30:29 GMT -5
Do you have any more interesting parables?
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Post by henry on May 9, 2007 16:04:18 GMT -5
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him.
"Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can't you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
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Post by dietspam16 on May 9, 2007 16:26:16 GMT -5
That one is just funny.
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Post by henry on May 9, 2007 16:46:46 GMT -5
Two monks are traveling down a muddy road. They come upon a beautiful young woman, burdened with a heavy load, by the side of a river. She is in distress as she cannot cross with her load. The older of the two monks lifts her up and carries her and her things across the river, and the monks continue on their way without her.
As they walk, the younger monk is distressed, as monks are forbidden to have contact with women. In time he cannot contain himself, and confronts the older monk on his behavior. The older monk replies, "I left that woman by the river. Are you still carrying her?"
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