How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole? This is an ancient Zen koan. A what?!? A Zen Koan is a story or parable that is used in the practice of Zen Buddhism. Koans form part of larger stories meant for contemplation and meditation. Koans are passed down through various Buddhist teachers. When meditating on a koan, it is said that it can help one arrive at a more enlightened mental state, helping one arrive closer to the ultimate Buddhist goal of Nirvana. They present puzzles or questions that cannot be solved through rational thought.
The story that entails the koan goes as follows:

Master Sekiso said, "You are at the top of the 100 foot high pole. How will you make a step further?" Another Zen Master of Ancient Times said, "One who sits on top of the 100 foot pole has not quite attained true enlightenment. Make another step forward from the top of the pole and throw one's own body into the 100,000 universes."

Taken from:
muneeraallie.blogspot.com

Mumon's Comments:
Should there be any who is able to step forward from the top of the 100 foot pole and hurl one's whole body into the entire universe, this person may call oneself a Buddha. Nevertheless, how can one step forward from the top of the 100 foot pole? Know thyself!

Should one be content and settle on top of the 100 foot pole,
One will harm the third eye,
And will even misread the marks on the scale.
Should one throw oneself and be able to renounce one's life,
Like one blind person leading all other blind persons,
One will be in absolute freedom (unattached from the eyes).

What I have derived from this is that stepping from a 100-foot pole is a metaphor for having trust in one's self and the only way to fully trust one's self is to know one's self. To know one’s self, one must have reached an enlightened state of mind because knowing one’s self fully does not rest solely on knowing trivial things such as what you like or dislike. It has to do with being at peace, letting go of all desires, all material objects, all negative energy that keeps us at the top of the pole. Once we know ourselves truly, our minds will be open to all levels of life and true joy will commence!

Taken from: mro.org

Story taken from: http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/awakening101/mumonkan.html

We are what we do?

We are what we do... Human beings are way to multifaceted for this to be true. I mean, just because you read the bible, it doesn’t mean that you’re a Christian or just because you wear tie-dye, doesn’t make you a hippy. That priest over there, looks like a man of God yet he could very well be a paedophile at the same time and that stripper could actually be a desperate, single mother trying to put food on the table for her three kids.

Human curiosity and circumstances lead us to do many things that we shouldn’t do. These mistakes and experiences teach us in life and are a completely normal part of our growth. The problem lies in other’s judgement! People are so judgemental (yet another fatal human flaw), that they will take any one action of yours and derive some sort of label based on that. “Oh, I saw Sally wearing a short skirt, she must be easy.” So be careful, for as much as we are told not to judge a book by its cover,  the more we seem to do this. Human nature has really vicious tendencies.

What I am trying to get at is that we should not label people so easily, because their actions do not dictate who they are. That person you are labelling could be doing what they are doing out of peer pressure, or as a result of some unfavourable circumstance. Or they could merely be testing the waters out of sheer human curiosity.


Taken from hergoodybag.com

 
On the other side of the coin however, those that repeat the same actions again and again are surely looking for a label, because that is who they believe themselves to be or who they want to be. So yes, if you continuously sleep around, you will be labelled a slut and if you continuously over-compliment others you will be labelled an ass-kisser. At the end of the day, it is all about reputation and what kind of reputation you want. It is your choice. If you don’t care what others think then good for you, but its true what famous Greek philosopher and critic Aristotle says, “We are what we REPEATEDLY do!”

We are afraid of the wrong things...

Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Shakespeare and Yoda all have two things in common. They are all famous for their wisdom about life and human behaviour and they all knew that we fear the wrong things... They all have quoted some wise words regarding the negative emotion of fear :



Image taken from activerain.com

“If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.”

-The Dalai Lama-

Taken from toonpool.com

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

   -Yoda-

Taken from djbarney.wordpress.com

“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

    -Buddha-

Taken from dareland.com

“Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed.”

     -William Shakespeare-

Taken from msp.westwood.wikispaces.net

We can conclude from these wise words, that fear is a negative emotion. Nothing good can come of it as it has the potential to cause suffering.  We all fear the things that MIGHT affect us but if we have no fear then we cannot attract the negative outcomes of fear.  One of the greatest hindrances in life is fear. Therefore, in the wise words of Franklin Roosevelt, “ the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself!

Image taken from animalcapshunz.icanhascheezburger.com

Fish falling from the sky.

 

What is your perception? Taken from ryansullivan.co.za

Aside from it being a natural phenomenon that occurs in tornado country, the topic of “fish falling from the sky” has the power to define what type of person you are. How, you ask? Well, it has do with the way you look at it. You see, fish falling from the sky, taken literally, could either be viewed in a negative light or a positive one. The way you perceive it has to do with your mindset as well as your circumstances. All a bit confusing? Let me explain...

People with a negative, pessimistic outlook on life who have all they need would view fish falling from the sky as a bad thing. They would probably think of all the negative factors such as the horrid smell of the fish or what would be done with all these fish that were never asked for. On the other side of the coin, people with a positive outlook and those that are entrenched in poverty would view fish falling from the sky as a miracle. They would see it as food falling from the sky. They may even see it as on opportunity to make money!

We often forget to look for the good in life. Instead we choose to let stupid things get to us. We moan, complain and judge everything. Where does this get us? Absolutely nowhere good. Being pessimistic and negative is the worst thing you can do for your soul as we are beings on a mission to find true joy. That is what we are put on the earth for because when we experience true happiness and joy is when we are truly connected to our higher selves. When we are connected to our higher selves, only good things can come our way.

It all has to do with the way we flow our energy. Everything in the universe is made up of either negative or positive energy. We as humans are able to choose how we flow as we are able to flow both kinds of energy depending on how we feel. Like attracts like and so do we. You see, we are all like big magnets attracting what happens in our lives through the way we flow our energy. Negative feelings mean you are vibrating at a low frequency, which means that you will only draw in negative, low outcomes. The opposite is true for positive feelings. Haven’t you noticed how when something goes wrong in your life and you mope on it, everything else seems to fall apart in succession.?

We all have a choice to deliberately create the outcomes in our lives. You just have to change your mindset. How would you feel about fish falling from the sky?

Fish falling from the skytaken from freakingnews.com

What is the colour of the wind?

Winds of Change - miruviel-san.deviantart.com

The “winds of change” have blown through South Africa since the times of Apartheid. These colourful winds have blown through our land and created a so-called “rainbow nation”.  In an ideal world this would ring true to the ears of every South African and we would also all be colour-blind.  But alas, this is the real world and although Apartheid may be gone, hatred and racism still remains.

Like an allergic reaction, you still cannot escape racism in this day and age. We are still all segregated from one another for most of our lives in some way or another; we attend majority race schools, visit different beaches, party at different clubs, live in separate neighbourhoods or even vote for separate political parties.

Racial slurs and the race card are thrown more often than you see multi-racial friendships in society. We remain ignorant and disinterested in one another’s cultures and values. We go home and hear our parents still speaking with an Apartheid mindset but never correct them. We stick to our own and never truly realise the goals of equality and tolerance that the beloved leaders of yesteryear set for us. This “we” I speak of is all of us; black, white, coloured, Indian and others -our “rainbow nation”. The truth isn’t always pretty, but it is so evident. If you have never experienced racism in South Africa, count yourself blessed.

I hear or see some form of racial hatred or discrimination on a daily basis. I don’t know if maybe I’m unlucky or just susceptible to the topic but it happens. As a person who was not part of Apartheid, it is very difficult and saddening for me to experience or deal with this. In my opinion, you cannot go steadily forward if you keep looking backwards. I understand that those who lived in the Apartheid era will always bear the scars and mindsets engrained in them and this may be carried forward , but we as the youth need to make a stand to step forward and promote harmony. I say no more to judgement based on colour, I say no more hatred and I say no more grudges. I say let’s scratch out race and make it void. Perhaps then we can grow as a nation and prosper? Fundamentally, we are all South Africans and that is what matters, not colour!

Taken from godlikeproductions.com

The question I ask now is, “What is the colour of the wind in South Africa today?” The correct response would be, “Does it really matter?”

Taken from jequiti.com.br