There were three blind men and they come upon an elephant. They were trying to figure out what it was. What is this thing? Each of them examined a different part of the elephant. One was feeling its legs and says, “Oh my gosh! It’s huge. It’s massive. It has really tough skin.” Another one was …
All About Elephants and Monkeys
Published: Sat, 05/13/23
This week we have a few stories about perception. Our minds are fabulous because we see things, hear things, and then make conclusions. It's good to keep in mind that what we are seeing and hearing is only partial. We remain wise if keep our conclusions fluid. Once we know that anything we believe is only, and can only, be based on partial data, then we can constantly change our minds getting closer and closer to seeing reality as it is.
Living in the Moment is Bull
Living in the moment is kind of bull really. Your mind’s not built to do that. Your mind is built to do way more important jobs. You can’t get out of the moment anyway.
Confused About Elephants
The elephant story shows how easy it is for us to get confused if we don’t see the big picture. Especially if it’s really big. This speaks to our entire society too. If nobody sees the entire picture then it’s hard to know what an elephant is, to know what reality is, or to even …
The Seed of You
When you get the punch line of one of my Zen stories, what is the part of you that gets it? What is that seed? That Youness. The “you” that gets it?
Elephants and Science
The elephant story shows why the scientific method is such a great way to examine life. It’s a powerful way to examine reality because the scientific method insures you never have the opinion of one person becoming “the truth.” Everything is always up for argument. It is true that opinions of one scientist can become …
All About Monkeys
So, a man comes to a spiritual teacher and says, “Show me enlightenment.” This was back in the time in the days of Zen. The teacher looks at him and says, “Oh it’s easy. You just go home, for one night. You spend the entire night not thinking about monkeys and come and report to …
Teacups
A man goes and finds a master. Usually the story is embellished with a tale of adventure where the guy has to climb a huge mountain and get up to the top. He finally gets there. The master sits him down and says, “Let’s have a cup of tea.” He starts pouring and pouring and …
Is Your Teacup Already Full?
Is your teacup already full? Are you believing tons of things about spirituality that isn’t really your experience?
Don’t Fill Up
There is a warning in the last story we told about the teacup. The master is filling and filling the filling the cup until there’s no room for anything else. The teacup represents all the books you’ve read, including this one. Don’t let these …
Power & Spirituality
In the last story we told about the teacup the master is filling and filling the filling the cup until there’s no room for anything else. The teacup represents all the books you’ve read, including this one. Don’t let these stories fill you up with knowledge. The mind always craves knowledge and power. Instead let …
