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actualize your wild freedom
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
The tale is told of Bodhidharma, a patriarch who may or may not have been a myth, may or may not have been a lie. But whether the tale is true or the man is a figment of someone's over-active imagination strikes me as irrelevant: Maybe it's true, maybe it's false ... still the tale is worth heeding. It is told by Osho, the high-profile Sri Bagwan Rajneesh, a fellow whose hi jinx brought him down in Oregon in the 1980's: http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Beloved_Osho_Books/Zen/Bodhidharma_The_Greatest_Zen_Master.pdf
The tale tells of the Emperor Wu, who meets Bodhidharma at 4 a.m. on the temple grounds. The emperor goes alone. Bodhidharma instructs him. And after sitting for some time, and with the sun rising, the emperor opens his eyes in delight. He has hit pay dirt and as a means of expressing his gratitude, he invites Bodhidharma to come to the palace. But Bodhidharma declines, saying,
That is not my place; you can see I am wild, I do things I myself don't know beforehand. I live moment to moment spontaneously, I am very unpredictable. I may create unnecessary trouble for you, your court, your people; I am not meant for palaces, just let me live in my wildness.
Wild things do not fare well in palaces and temples, whether within or without. Wild things do not cause trouble for others. The simply live on sure, quiet feet. They are what is. They are not special or blessed ... they just are what is.
Just like all of us.
The tale tells of the Emperor Wu, who meets Bodhidharma at 4 a.m. on the temple grounds. The emperor goes alone. Bodhidharma instructs him. And after sitting for some time, and with the sun rising, the emperor opens his eyes in delight. He has hit pay dirt and as a means of expressing his gratitude, he invites Bodhidharma to come to the palace. But Bodhidharma declines, saying,
That is not my place; you can see I am wild, I do things I myself don't know beforehand. I live moment to moment spontaneously, I am very unpredictable. I may create unnecessary trouble for you, your court, your people; I am not meant for palaces, just let me live in my wildness.
Wild things do not fare well in palaces and temples, whether within or without. Wild things do not cause trouble for others. The simply live on sure, quiet feet. They are what is. They are not special or blessed ... they just are what is.
Just like all of us.
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