Short story: The professor has an audience with a Zen master, and is dismissed before he could ask his questions
@innertalks (19573)
Australia
September 17, 2023 10:59pm CST
The old Zen master, Donkski Verbosla, was known throughout the land. He had a reputation amongst Zen students, and with the everyday man too.
His eruditeness, his elucidation, and his clear explanation, that reached into you, and lifted you up to higher consciousness levels in his presence was sought after by many people then.
One day, a Professor of Philosophy, went to the town, where his monastery was located, on its outskirts somewhere, and he tried to find the Zen master, and his monastery.
He was walking through a park, when he saw an old man, seated on a bench.
He went over to him to ask him for directions to the monastery.
The man told him that that Zen master was very busy, with his students, and with laypeople coming in unannounced.
In order to bring about some order to his day, if someone from outside the monastery comes to request an audience with him, they now had to book a time to see him with the monastery secretary.
I expect that you will have to do the same.
The Professor, huffed, and coughed, clearing his throat.
"I am sure that he will make an exception for such an important person as I am, a professor of Philosophy, at Oxford University, no less."
The man gave him directions, and he went on his way.
He soon reached the monastery, and sure enough, he had to go through the secretary, to make an appointment to see the great Zen master.
He remonstrated with her, and he told her just who he was.
"Why people pay to come to hear my own talks on these types of subject matters too,"
he said.
Hearing the ruckus from his room, the old Zen master then came out to see what the fuss was all about.
The Philosopher was surprised. It was the man from the park.
The Zen master said to him,
"You have already had your audience with me for today. Book one for tomorrow, and I will see you again, then."
And he went back into his room.
The professor booked his appointmentt, and he spent the night in a nearby hotel, and then he fronted up at his appointed time the next day to ask his questions to the old Zen master.
The old Zen master saw him, but before he could speak, the old Zen master said to him:
"Philosophy never lives inside of Zen in the real world, but is lost always outside of Zen in the imaginary world of your mind."
"Learn to love life, and not just think about it, and all your questions will disappear summarily into that love, and you will therefore have no more questions at all."
"Ok, that's it. Take what I told you seriously, and you might get yourself out of that hole that you are in now, and where all philosophy always throws you into."
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
The Professor was a dandy, overdressed, and pompous, in manor.
3 people like this
3 responses
@RebeccasFarm (111544)
• Wheat Ridge, Colorado
18 Sep
Haha Dandy..I know that word..a toff too Steve 

2 people like this
@innertalks (19573)
• Australia
19 Sep
Yes, thanks. It is a pity that we cannot add photos anymore, as I had a dandy of that dandy Professor to include in here.

@innertalks (19573)
• Australia
18 Sep
Yes, he probably thought that he knew more than the Zen master, and wanted to test him, with his questions, too.
@Shiva49 (25972)
• Singapore
18 Sep
Philosophy and Zen - never the twain shall meet, it looks like.
Zen has more to do with love while philosophy is more about mundane life and its interpretations.
Maybe the Zen master knew it was tough for the dyed-in-the-wool professor to make much headway when it came to Zen.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (19573)
• Australia
18 Sep
Yes, the Zen master knew that it was better for him to speak to his heart, before the Professor locked himself into his mind once more, by his asking a host of mind-type questions of the Zen master.
@innertalks (19573)
• Australia
19 Sep
@Shiva49 Einstein might have had a helicopter view in some areas of his thinking, but in others, he was down the well of stupidity like the rest of us often are too.
He was a smoker, for example, no smart thinking there. He dressed badly, and never even took the time to comb his hair, not much thought put into that area of his life either.
He never considered some other scientist's views, especially ideas about the quantum theory, dismissing the ideas with the trite remark, that "God does not play dice with the Universe."
The Human condition then is inherently stupid, without it being raised in consciousness, by an injection of love, and connection to God.
@Shiva49 (25972)
• Singapore
19 Sep
@innertalks In a way it is like science and religion. Apples with oranges comparison
However, some have a helicopter view to appreciate different schools of thought like Einstein.
The lesser mortals are more likely - to off with their heads dismissing another opinion as beneath contempt.
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