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Zen Master's Tale of Enlightenment: The Quest for the Intangible
In the province of Zenshun, there was a small temple that sat atop a hill surrounded by an ever-blossoming grove of cherry trees. The temple was home to an elderly Zen master known for his peculiar teachings. One day, he gathered his students and announced he would instruct them on the nature of “Mu” – meaning “not have; without”, a concept signifying the importance of unasking the question that is fundamentally flawed.
The master began, “In the village at the base of our hill, there lived a woman who once set out to capture the fragrance of the cherry blossoms in a woven basket. Day after day, she toiled, running swiftly through the grove, attempting to trap the elusive scent. Though night came and the fragrance dissipated with the wind, her basket remained obstinately empty.”
The students listened intently, seeking wisdom in the tale.
The Zen master continued, “This woman then declared she would pour the echo of a bell into a jar. She placed a clay jar beside the temple’s iron bell and, when it rang, she quickly sealed the jar, hoping to contain the sound. But when she later opened the jar, there was only silence.”
The students, now perplexed, struggled to discern the lesson.
Finally, the master concluded, “The woman, undeterred, endeavored to weave moonlight into a robe. Night after night, she weaved under the luminous glow, yet every morning, found her loom empty, the robe unwoven.”
The tale complete, the students sat in quiet confusion. The master, seeing their struggle, explained, “The woman sought to do what was impossible, to capture what was intangible. Just as we cannot snare the fragrance of blossoms, trap the echo of a bell, or weave moonlight into cloth, we must recognize where questions lead us astray. Seeking answers to nonsense is like chasing the horizon, believing one can reach where sky and earth meet. The path to enlightenment is discerning when to embark on a journey and when to realize the journey itself is folly.”