116-Buddhism and the Flag Part 2 - Buddhism in daily life

Buddhism and the Flag Part 2


In a temple once lived a learned master, he had many interesting
and extraordinary disciples. One day, when a group of monks came
to visit, the master invited the foreign monks to dinner. The
conversation was animated, the wandering monks told of the events
on their journey.


The next day, the wise monk taught the travellers, explaining his
view of things, followed by an erudite conversation. Of course,
the topic was mainly the teaching of the teacher all teachers,
where different views and opinions opposed each other again and
again.


At the end of the conversation, the topic of the parable of the
wind and the flags, attributed to the famous master Hui Neng,
came up. Do the flags now move in the wind, or do they move
because they have the possibility to do so, the movement would be
their true characteristic?


Of course, each of those present had his own opinion on the
subject, none was prepared to accept the other's view. There was
only one thing they all agreed on, Master Hui Neng, as one of
Buddha's followers, was beyond all doubt.


It is precisely on this subject that disputes arise again and
again in Buddhist monasteries, because it is not clear how the
great master from the past "really" meant this parable. The very
question of whether the movement of the flags can only be noticed
in the mind, whether perhaps without the observer there would be
no movement at all, this dispute has been going on for many
centuries. In any case, it is justified to think about this,
because without the observer there would be no sound.


In any case, if there was no wind, there would be no movement of
the flags, so that the spirit could not move either, one of the
monks said. Everyone had to think about this for a while, the
mood recovered, and the dispute seemed to be resolved at first.


Until one of those present had the idea to quote the monk's exact
words correctly: "it is not the wind, it is not the flags, it is
the spirit that moves things".


And again the argument broke out anew, the one saying that all
things come from the spirit, the other saying that where there is
no spirit to argue, there can be no argument.


This discussion is somewhat reminiscent of the argument about
which came first, the hen or the egg!


In any case, the path is the goal!


As a flame goes out with the wind, is blown away and concepts no
longer fit, so is the way freed from "spirit and body": He can no
longer be grasped conceptually


- Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before
the year zero





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