Sayings of Layman P'ang #33: Don't Tell Someone What to Do
The Layman asked the priest Pen—hsi,I "What do you make of Tan—hsia and the attendant who was hit?"
Pen-hsi said, "An old man can tell whether someone measures up or not."
The Layman said, "Since I practiced together with the teacher, may I put forward a question?"
Pen—hsi said, "As you wish, please bring up an issue and I Will evaluate it with you."
The Layman said, "Even for an old man, it isn't right to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do."
Pen—hsi said, "You should have respect for your elders."
The Layman said, "Oh, forgive me! Forgive me!"
assin9 commentary:
Pen-hsi is too chicken to disrupt the pecking order, and the layman is a terrible gossip! Keeping a tight lip around him would seem well advised. But, real zen layman don't give advice! Their words inherently invite questioning! Pen-hsi speaks Faithfuly of someone he sees as a sort of master, admirable. He likely has Doubts about this layman and comes across as stand-offish here, understandable. Causes and conditions can have their way with us quite easily. How many of us decend into Doubt and Faith because we can no longer bear to simply wonder? It's a wonderful world, but we want to "learn zen" or "get enlightened" or "transcend duality" or something. Hm🤔
Is it right to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do?
Submitted June 03, 2022 at 07:21PM by fullassin9 https://ift.tt/EAN5VZk
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