Short Story: A Zen koan about forgiveness

You stayed there now, and zen, then. Yes, maybe a peaceful place to stay in.

@innertalks indeed. Its calm and quite. ALso have good view as I stay in high floor (request)

@Vree0937 That's good, and that's how I like it too. If we like it very peaceful, we can lodge in a monastery here too with the monks, and as long as we pull our weight, and help out around the place too, it's free to do that too.

It is a nice cat, all white.

@innertalks yes, its beautiful with all white fur

Thanks, siva. Yes, they nearly always think that we have an alternative motive in our acting so "rightly". We are brownnosing the boss, for example. We call it, "the tall poppy syndrome here." Everybody wants to cut the tallest poppy down to size.

@Shiva49 Yes, a few people try to stir up a hornet's nest with their actions. They must get some type of a weird satisfaction by causing angst, and stirring up/creating trouble, in that way. Some, even as workers, really are only in it for themselves, and not for the good of the business, or their fellow worker. They do the least they can to get away with just keeping their jobs, and they just do not care, about whether they are being worthy of their pay , or not. They think the business, plus the world, owes them, not that they should try to give anything back to it, themselves.

@innertalks Yes, some are so petty-minded to bring a colleague down they do not realize their actions result in destroying the organization. At one place the endless catfights went on and on and I told in exasperation all my time was spent and wasted on putting out the fire set deliberately! At another place, I was busy solving issues carried forward but one colleague was egging others to trip me! And a Belgian colleague was easily manipulated with his face turning red instantly! I had to quieten him with soothing words while the other was enjoying the fall out of his nefarious ways!

Yes, it is true that he needed help, but a master's forgiveness, often gives that help to the person involved too, as in this Zen story. (The killer of the cat was known to the master, in my story too, and so he would know of the master's forgiveness of him, as well. He worked as a cleaner in the monastery, but he listened in to all of the master's talks to his students.) The Pupil Who Would Be Cast Out: A Zen Tale of Right, Wrong, and the power of forgiveness "In Ancient Japan, there lived a great Master, Bankei, who was known across the land for his teachings. Whenever he held his meditation retreats, students from all across the country came to attend. During one of these gatherings, a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was promptly reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei, however, ignored the case. A few days passed, and when the same student was caught in a similar act, Bankei again disregarded the matter. This caused a lot of upset among the other students, angering them and prompting them to draw up a petition requesting the dismissal of the thief. If not adhered to, it stated, they would all leave the retreat. Bankei read the petition and called everyone before him. “You are wise, my brothers,” he said. “All of you who wrote this petition know what is proper. You are very clear on what is right, and what is not right. Yet this poor brother, who drove you to create and issue me this ultimatum, and who you would see cast out the doors of this retreat, does not. Who will teach him if not I?” There was a prolonged moment of silence, during which Bankei examined closely the eyes of each of his students. They stirred uncomfortably, yet remained without speaking. Finally, he continued. “You may all go somewhere else to study if you wish. I am going to keep him here, even if all the rest of you leave.” Suddenly the pupil in question burst into tears, weeping uncontrollably. Slowly, a great understanding began to fall upon the rest of the students. It was clear that the tears being shed were of a genuine and cleansing nature. There was no mistaking it. All desire to steal, they knew, had vanished from their brother.