Monday, May 5, 2008

Another Bus

A story from our Sunday sitting group yesterday. (I may get some of the details wrong--the memory does not serve in quite the same way that it used to. But I think I've got the essence and the punch line.)

Two monks, returning from prolonged retreat in some Asian country, the one old, experienced, wise, familiar with the practice east and west; the other younger, less experienced, less familiar with the east-west transition. The younger monk, concerned about his ability to bring the depth knowledge he has gained back to his home country, asks the older one what advice he can offer to help him apply the teachings in this new environment.

Says the older, wiser, more experienced monk: "If you miss the bus, don't panic. There will always be another bus."

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