Zen Story: The Zen master's dog was more enlightened than the Zen master was himself!
By emptychair
@innertalks (23746)
Australia
August 21, 2020 9:22pm CST
The old Zen master, Rehkie Bankertski, had a pet dog, that he had brought into the Zen monastery with him.
It was a stray dog, that had followed him in from the street, the very day, that he had arrived there, ten years before, and it had stayed with him, close by his side, the whole time since.
Rehkie, could see the face of his mother in this dog, as when he was young, she used to follow him around, and dote on him, in a similar way, as which this dog was doing to him now.
He did feel a bit uneasy about this particular thought coming to him, but he knew that his mind was the home for any thought, that wanted to come into it.
It was up to himself if he kept the thought there as a guest, or simply walked it through to the back door, and let it out, once more again.
"Is enlightenment possible for my dog too?", was another thought that often came into the master's mind, as he watched it, following him around.
The Zen master was dying, and this dog still sat by his bed, almost wanting to die with his old master, it seemed.
A couple of days later, the master looked up, saw his dog still there, and he said.
"Well pooch, you have outlived me, let me die in yourself too now, otherwise you will miss me too much, when I am gone."
The old dog looked at his master, barked once, and died first himself.
He could not forget this kind old Zen master, and died first.
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
The Zen master's dog, Dogyu, knew how to die, better than which his master did. He understood that life and death, where only ever just a bark apart.
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2 responses
@Nakitakona (59987)
• Philippines
22 Aug 20
Is dying a choice? Or it is the will of maker to take his creation's life?
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
22 Aug 20
@innertalks If I was to hazard a meaning of that verse, it might mean something like this:
This means that when our time in our body is over, our soul, which is in charge here, can leave the body, and go into higher places where it wants to go, as called by God to go.
God calls our soul, and then our body must follow.
This is what it means when we feel that we have a calling in our lives; it means that God has called our soul into a certain area of life for us to follow and obey it, in what he wants of it in service to himself.
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@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
22 Aug 20
@Nakitakona I am not really sure. It is something to think about though.
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@Shiva49 (28402)
• Singapore
22 Aug 20
I have heard some women willing that their husbands die first as they will be lost if they outlive their wives.
That I think is real concern for their husbands' well being.
Women can still be useful in old age at their children's homes but men are more of a nuisance sadly.
The zen master showed a similar empathy for his dog - siva
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
23 Aug 20
@Shiva49 I have chased such escapism too at times, wanting to belong to various cults, where I do not need to search anymore, because they have all of the final answers for me.
Also, I like the American Indians, because their culture allowed escapism in a way, by them living in tribes, and all being apart of the tribe, all helping each other.
There is nothing wrong with escaping into such a group though, in some ways, and in other ways, it stifles your individualism, which escapism does too.
Individualism can lead to selfishness if it becomes all about "me" all of the time too, though.
A cursory reading of my writings usually reveals the exact opposite of what I was really saying, as an underlying deepness is missed when a surface scan is done.
I find the same when I talk to people.
Most people just want to leave those "advanced settings" off, and just talk small talk.
I get misunderstood a lot when I am talking too, but my wife says it's because I tend to waffle around the point, talking in a circular way, moving back and forwards to the main topic with many side trip-ups along the way...lol...
I do let the talk take me to these side points as I do when I am driving my car going on a drive to some place too.
I like to stop along the way, and look at whatever strikes my fancy. My wife does not like to stop until she gets to the point that we had planned to go too, and to visit...lol...different likes...
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@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
23 Aug 20
@Shiva49 I also enjoy discussing philosophy from time to time, until I get tongue-tied with it, as the tongue is connected to the mind, rather than to the heart, mostly in this type of a discussion for me.
I tire of just discussion sometimes, and I need to feel the truth again to keep me going.
This is where an experience comes along, and pushes me back towards the living truth again, rather than just the written, or thought-based ideas of it.
Then I like to share the experience, and so the discussion begins again...lol...
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@Shiva49 (28402)
• Singapore
23 Aug 20
@innertalks Yes Steve, I find some getting sucked into a vicious circle by a few supposed masters who proclaim to have a secret key to happiness. And surprisingly, those who fall prey are those who spent all their lives chasing the mirage of happiness through material acquisitions.
The fact is they are unhappy with what they have and also with what they don't have.
As for myself, I like to nibble at all news, views and interviews, but make a quick getaway!
I agree most are hardly interested in "advanced settings" and like to "smell the roses" too in a split second!
I found that here, too, as any posts with a searching topic will not get much responses or just cursory comments. I would like some in-depth posts too than is the norm here.
Even when I was busy working, I enjoyed philosophical discourses from time to time and some bantering with a few. Sadly, most were too much into building a career.
I have a cousin for whom work was worship but now he is forlorn as he is retired.
He still thinks he can roll back his years but reality stares at him every moment - siva
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