“Student: Master, can a meteorite fall on our head while we are walking? Master: Yes, it can fall! Student: What precautions can we take against this? Master: Try to strengthen your head! Student: But I want a realistic measure that works! Master: Then let me tell you something realistic: There is no possibility of a meteorite falling on your head, because nothing can fall on something that does not exist!” Mehmet Murat Ildan QuotesZenZen MasterZen StoryMeteoritesZen Masters Author:Mehmet Murat Ildan
“The disciple asked: Master, does the fact that our temple was built on a high mountain indicate our determination to approach a mystical intelligent power in the heavens? The master replied: No! It just expresses our desire to escape from the fool below!” Mehmet Murat Ildan QuotesZenZen MasterZen StoriesZen StoryZen QuotesZen QuotationsZen Masters Author:Mehmet Murat Ildan
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." According to Dante, these lines are written over the gates of Hell. Zen masters, by contrast, have high hopes for going to Hell. For them, out of bottomless compassion, we should want to go to Hell. When asked by a college student in America if he thought people go to Heaven after they die, the modern Rinzai Zen master Fukushima Keidō replied: "Only the ego wants to go to Heaven!” HellZen Masters Book:Zen Pathways: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of Zen Buddhism Source: Zen Pathways: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of Zen Buddhism
“Student: Master, I haven't been able to create any meaning in my life, what should I do now? Master: Continue living meaninglessly, it's better than not living at all!” Mehmet Murat Ildan QuotesMeaningMeaning Of LifeMeaninglessnessMeaning Of Life QuotesZen StoriesZen StoryZen Masters Author:Mehmet Murat Ildan
“Most spiritual teachers do not consciously and intentionally deceive. However, ignorance of the ego does not make a saint. Good questions to ask about spiritual teachers are: Are there rules and regulations? Does the teacher need or want certain things back? Is the teacher asking for a lot of money? Does this teacher’s presence or writing transform me? Do I feel closer to God by listening to this teacher? We want the attention to be drawn not to the personal teacher but to the impersonal divinity of those listening. The focus is not on the teacher but on the true spirit within each of us. We want to feel God rising within. Otherwise, the capacity of the teacher to aid our long-term transformation will be limited. Genuine teachers quickly divert attention away from themselves. They do this so that the focus is on the needs of the student and not on themselves. If they have outgrown the desire for personal attention, they will do this very naturally.” GrowthTeachersGuruSpiritual PathSpiritual TeachersSpiritual LessonsZen Masters Book:The Love of Devotion Source: The Love of Devotion