Upon ending his begging, he returned to his dwelling and ate. He put away his gown and bowl, washed his toes, laid down a mat, and sat on it.
Commentary:
It doesn’t matter what the Buddha did, the aim of his actions was to steer folks to grasp the true-Self. Placing away his gown and bowl, washing his toes, laying down a mat, and sitting on it are usually not exceptions.
As soon as there was a monk who was beneath a well-known grasp for a very long time. He thought that the grasp didn’t give him any teachings and begged him for teachings. The grasp promised to take action each time he was begged to by the monk. Nevertheless, to the monk’s disappointment, the grasp’s perspective in direction of him was the identical as standard. He nonetheless didn’t do something particular to satisfy the monk’s expectation for such a very long time that the monk’s endurance wore out. He was decided to go away the grasp for one more grasp and stated to him, “I’m going to go away you since you could have by no means given me any teachings, though I’ve been with you for over ten years.” The grasp solemnly responded, “How dare you say that I’ve not taught you something? Once you served meals to me, I taught you by consuming them. Once you introduced me tea, I taught you by consuming it. There’s nothing else apart from what I’ve proven you.” Nevertheless, the monk, failing to understand the grasp’s intention, didn’t change his choice to go away him and bade farewell to him. When the monk was about to exit of the grasp’s room, the grasp known as him. When he turned his head, the grasp stated, “There’s nothing else however this” and in the meanwhile the monk attained enlightenment.
This story implies that the grasp taught the monk by revealing the true-Self by the actions of consuming meals and consuming tea, simply because the historic Buddha did by placing away his gown and bowl, washing his toes, laying down a mat, and sitting on it. The monk then recognised what the grasp had proven him, for the primary time in over ten years, within the grasp’s actions.
Seen on this method, all of the actions that the Buddha confirmed, from placing on his gown to laying down a mat and sitting on it, grow to be no apart from necessary teachings.
Q: “What did the monk see within the grasp’s actions?”
A: “It’s nonetheless seen in the meanwhile.”
Q: “What’s it?”
A: “Check out the flower.”
Don’t blame it for being hidden.
If you end up sharp-sighted,
it reveals itself clearly even at midnight.
If you end up blind,
it’s invisible even in broad daylight.
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All pictures ©Simon Hathaway
