Are they not the same?

Exhibit A: Dao De Jing Ch. 14

Look, it is not seen; its name is called elusive.

Listen, it is not heard; its name is called tenuous.

Grasp, it is not gotten; its name is called subtle and obscure.

These three things can not be investigated any further –

Therefore they blend and become one.

This one thing :

Its highest point is not bright;

Its lowest point is not dark.

Continuous and unending!, it can not be named;

It returns to non-existence.

It is called the form of that which is without-form;

The image of non-existence.

It is called confusing and indistinct.

Meet it and you do not see its beginning;

Follow it and you do not see its end.

Hold fast to the Way of the ancients

In order to master the present moment.

The ability to know the ancient beginning –

This is called the main principle of Dao.

Exhibit B: Gospel of Thomas (18)

The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us, how will our end come?"

Jesus said, "Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is.

Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death."

Bonus Verse: Jesus said: I shall choose you, one out of a thousand and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one. (23)

Exhibit C: Tokusan holds his bowl// Case 13

Tokusan went to the dining room from the meditation hall holding his bowl. Seppo was on duty cooking. When he met Tokusan he said: `The dinner drum is not yet beaten. Where are you going with your bowl?' So Tokusan returned to his room.

Seppo told Ganto about this. Ganto said: `Old Tokusan did not understand the ultimate truth.'

Tokusan heard of this remark and asked Ganto to come to him. I have heard,' he said,you are not approving my Zen.' Ganto admitted this indirectly. Tokusan said nothing.

The next day Tokusan delivered an entirely different kind of lecture to the monks. Ganto laughed and clapped his hands, saying: `I see our old man understands the ultimate truth indeed. None in China can surpass him.'

Mumon's Comment: Speaking about ultimate truth, both Ganto and Tokusan did not even dream it. After all, they are dummies.

Whoever understands the first truth

Should understand the ultimate truth.

The last and first,

Are they not the same?

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Submitted February 03, 2020 at 01:27PM by AskingRddit https://ift.tt/393ZrNG