ian@darwin.UUCP (09/06/85)
The pupils of the Tendai school used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence. On the first day all were silent. Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim, one of the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant: ``Fix those lamps.'' The second pupil was surprised to hear the first one talk. ``We are not supposed to say a word'', he remarked. ``You two are stupid. Why did you talk?'' asked the third. ``I am the only one who has not talked'', concluded the fourth pupil. ----- #71 in 101 Zen Stories. Paul Reps, editor.
rassool@siemens.UUCP (09/18/85)
/* Written 10:23 am Sep 6, 1985 by ian@darwin in siemens:net.general */ /* ---------- "Ancients predict USENET" ---------- */ The pupils of the Tendai school used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence. On the first day all were silent. Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim, one of the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant: ``Fix those lamps.'' The second pupil was surprised to hear the first one talk. ``We are not supposed to say a word'', he remarked. ``You two are stupid. Why did you talk?'' asked the third. ``I am the only one who has not talked'', concluded the fourth pupil. ----- #71 in 101 Zen Stories. Paul Reps, editor. /* End of text from siemens:net.general */ I am not familiar with the Zen Stories. But we have a poem in Persian , I think by Khaiam, that effectively relays the same message. If there are any interest I could find out for sure.