letting "me" go
i posted this zen story before, and shall repost it here to remind myself, some of my friends and kids, who are going through some troubles in life.
sometimes, all we need to do is to take a step back and realise how transient "me", "face", "reputation" and "pride" is, and we will soon realise that the problem will be resolved. yes ris low, it's not all about "me"
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she had a child.
This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"
"our prophet once said, when they came back from defending the religion, with broken arms, no legs, bleeding, and they said 'we've been through, now, the toughest battle ever. what do you have to say about that?' and prophet (peace be upon him) said 'no no no. this is not your toughest battle. your toughest battle, is in here (points to heart). and that is to remove as much arrogance as you can, remove self-importance, step back, be nobody, so that you can become a part of something much much bigger' "
- the late yasmin ahmad, tedx kl
sometimes, all we need to do is to take a step back and realise how transient "me", "face", "reputation" and "pride" is, and we will soon realise that the problem will be resolved. yes ris low, it's not all about "me"
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she had a child.
This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"
"our prophet once said, when they came back from defending the religion, with broken arms, no legs, bleeding, and they said 'we've been through, now, the toughest battle ever. what do you have to say about that?' and prophet (peace be upon him) said 'no no no. this is not your toughest battle. your toughest battle, is in here (points to heart). and that is to remove as much arrogance as you can, remove self-importance, step back, be nobody, so that you can become a part of something much much bigger' "
- the late yasmin ahmad, tedx kl
posted by yanjie at
7:51 PM
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