Zen koan: The Zen master's horse solves a koan
By emptychair
@innertalks (23736)
Australia
August 27, 2020 12:52am CST
The Zen master, Harez Johloske, was getting on in years, but he used to like to ride the horse of his samurai friend, Hiheathler, sometimes still too.
One day, he was out riding along, letting the horse go where it wilt go, when it suddenly stopped at a river for a drink.
Harez, slid off of the horse to get a drink for himself too.
The horse did not like the Zen master dirtying his water, and so he kicked him into the next kingdom.
"You can lead a horse to water, but do not drink its water for it, is the lesson we can all learn here."
Either that, or never borrow a Samurai's horse!
What was the horse's koan?
A horse on loan is prone to disown.
Would he have done this to his owner?
Well, he was a roan, and so still wanting to be around, he would not have!
(Roan horse leather hide is used for making expensive books!)
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
Never borrow the horse of a samurai!
4 people like this
4 responses
@piyushbhatia1 (11695)
• India
27 Aug 20
I wonder if a horse would really do that.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
28 Aug 20
@innertalks I have seen in documentaries even lions coming to grief when they try to attack them while in hot pursuit of them - siva
1 person likes this
@piyushbhatia1 (11695)
• India
28 Aug 20
@innertalks I can understand it may if a person is behind the horse.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
28 Aug 20
@piyushbhatia1 Here, the horse was also blind-sided, as its head was down drinking, when this Zen master slid off of its back, walked behind it, and then he was going to take a drink in the waters too, but he never made it that far.
The horse lashed out at the thing behind it.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
29 Aug 20
@DocAndersen But, did you still get burnt, because of science, or are you a monk type of a person, who can, reportedly, cut off their pain response somehow.
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
29 Aug 20
@innertalks the ability to cut off pain is good as long as no physical damage occurs. I live between love and science.
i find explanations of the universe in both.
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
28 Aug 20
@innertalks instinct being the line humans deem beneath them. I held my hand on a hot stove because I could.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
27 Aug 20
Yes, the horse was a warrior, brave and proud, like its master was too.
Only it could drink at its own special water hole!
@innertalks (23736)
• Australia
27 Aug 20
@Shiva49 Yes, we might never know what it is trained to do, until it is too late, for us, to avoid.
@Shiva49 (28371)
• Singapore
27 Aug 20
@innertalks Lesson learned, never dare mess with a samurai's horse - siva
1 person likes this
