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A true story...Only my Dharma name has been omitted to protect my guilt.

CittaCitta Veteran
edited December 2012 in General Banter
It was time for my weekly interview with my teacher..all students on retreat got 20 minutes.
" Rinpoche" I said jumping straight in with what was bothering me..." I have too may chores to do., my meditation is suffering, other people have more time to meditate than me. "
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche for it was he, looked from me, to the corner of the room..
" ( Dharma name ) " he said, "go and get a dustpan and brush " he said, " and come back and clear up the mess that Sherabpalden's dog made when it knocked over that dried flower arrangement, see you next week "...
He then left the room and drove off in the monastery car.
ToshMaryAnne

Comments

  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited December 2012
    SherabPalden Beru btw died last month at the age of 101...he had lived the last 50 years of his life at Samye LIng monastery in Scotland. He was one of the worlds greatest painters of Thankas. He has his own Wiki page.
    When he was younger he had a pair of truly horrible and bad tempered Tibetan Terriers which had the run of the place.
    It was said that you were not really part of the monastery until you had been bitten by one of the bloody things... lol.
  • MaryAnneMaryAnne Veteran
    so amusing & insightful on so many levels... (and no, I'm not being sarcastic) :)
  • BhikkhuJayasaraBhikkhuJayasara Bhikkhu Veteran
    The two dogs reminds me of the cat at Bhavana Society forest monastery. When you go there they warn you not to pet the cat.

    I was meditating on a bench in the woods and the cat comes and sits on the bench next to me... When I ended my meditation I moved my arms, it screams, swipes at me, and runs off lol.. Crazy cat.

    Also that master did the right thing, if someone said that to me as a monk I'd probably tell them to go cut wood lol.
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    Citta said:

    It was time for my weekly interview with my teacher..all students on retreat got 20 minutes.
    " Rinpoche" I said jumping straight in with what was bothering me..." I have too may chores to do., my meditation is suffering, other people have more time to meditate than me. "
    Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche for it was he, looked from me, to the corner of the room..
    " ( Dharma name ) " he said, "go and get a dustpan and brush " he said, " and come back and clear up the mess that Sherabpalden's dog made when it knocked over that dried flower arrangement, see you next week "...
    He then left the room and drove off in the monastery car.

    I don't get it. A student says he has too many chores, so the master gives him another chore? Wouldn't it be better to remove some chores?
  • ToshTosh Veteran
    edited December 2012
    PedanticPorpoise said:


    I don't get it. A student says he has too many chores, so the master gives him another chore? Wouldn't it be better to remove some chores?

    No, the student would learn more if he/she could adapt his/her inner World to the chores, rather than trying to adapt the outer World to fit themselves. Learning dharma isn't just reading/listening to teachings and meditation; it can be in everything we do.

    Shantideva (a really clever bloke) said:

    Where would I possibly find enough leather
    With which to cover the surface of the earth?
    But (just) leather on the soles of my shoes
    Is equivalent to covering the earth with it

    Likewise it is not possible for me
    To restrain the external course of things
    But should I restrain this mind of mine
    What would be the need to restrain all else?

    If life were so easy that we could just not do the stuff we didn't want to do, or adapt the World to suit our every whim and desire, we wouldn't learn anything. And of course, that's impossible anyway.
    MaryAnneRebeccaSchela
  • CittaCitta Veteran
    edited December 2012
    Bingo !

    It is also a matter of the individual relationship. I know other people who at that time had chores taken away from them because they were avoiding the cushion.
    Thats why a teacher is considered essential in the Vajrayana.
  • ToshTosh Veteran
    Citta said:

    Bingo !

    Thank you. I have a very sharp and keen alcoholic mind.

    :p
    andyrobyn
  • NirvanaNirvana aka BUBBA   `     `   South Carolina, USA Veteran
    I think we have too many woodcutting minimalists on this site.
    As for MOI, woodcutting just doesn't suit me. It rocks my joints and hurts my compromised spine.

    I like the kind of teacher who just has me sweep up a mess. That's not a bad chore.
    Thanks for the story, @Citta!
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