Evening breeze
A poem flutters on the string
of my tea bag
One of the most difficult though rewarding things I'm learning in Buddhism is not to take anything literally. Whereas other traditions might fixate on doctrine in the form of literary artifact, this approach is contrary to achieving wisdom:
Many people think that anatman [not-self] and anitya [impermanence] are the basis for a pessimistic moral doctrine. They say, "if all things are impermanent and devoid of the fixed identity, why bother to struggle so hard to attain them?" This is a misunderstanding of the Buddha's teaching. Buddhism aims at liberation through understanding. It is therefore necessary to examine the teachings of the Buddha from the point of view of understanding, and not take his words too literally without understanding their meaning. Impermanence and not-self are important principles that lead to deep understanding. - Hanh, T. N. (1995). Zen keys: a guide to Zen practice. Three Leaves Press, New York. p. 39.
To do otherwise would result in a pessimistic or nihilistic perspective, which is not the point. My favorite metaphor in Buddhism is that the teachings are like a finger pointing to the Moon: one should not confuse the finger for the Moon, or a particular teaching for understanding. Our aspiration is liberation, compassion, peace... and we follow those teachings that help us realize it.
Astronomers know that to see a star — one must look away.
__
Copyright 2006 NrrrdBoy. All Rights Reserved. https://goatee.net/