The Total of Life is Always The Same

A monkey trainer went to his monkeys and told them:
“As regards to your chestnuts, you are going to have three measures in the morning, and four in the afternoon.”
On hearing this all the monkeys became angry.

So the keeper said:
“All right then, I will change it to four measures in the morning, and three in the afternoon.”
The monkeys were satisfied with this arrangement.

——

Ultimately, if you can look at the total, the total in life is always the same, regardless of how many times you change the arrangement. You can be rich or poor, you can own more or less, but that will not change the wholeness of life. The total is always “seven” - this is “the law of three in the morning”.

And the monkey is your mind.

Fishing ideas

The purpose of a fishtrap

Is to catch fish,

And when the fish are caught

The trap is forgotten.

The purpose of words

is to convey ideas.

When the ideas are grasped

The words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man

Who has forgotten words?

He is the one I would like to talk to.

—Chuang Tzu

Avoiding your true being

There was a man

who was so disturbed

by the sight of his own shadow

and so displeased

with his own footsteps,

that he determined to get rid of both.

The method he hit upon was

to run away from them.

So he got up and ran.

But every time he put his foot down

there was another step,

while his shadow kept up with him

without the slightest difficulty.

He attributed his failure

to the fact

that he was not running fast enough.

So he ran faster and faster,

without stopping,

until he finally dropped dead.

He failed to realize

that if he merely stepped into the shade,

his shadow would vanish,

and if he sat down and stayed still,

there would be no more footsteps.

yet another Chuang Tzu Story

Empty Boat

If a man is crossing a river

And an empty boat collides with his own skiff,

Even though he be a bad-tempered man

He will not become very angry. 

But if he sees a man in the boat,

He will shout to him to steer clear.

And if the shout is not heard, he will shout

Again, and yet again, and begin cursing —

And all because there is somebody in that boat.

Yet if the boat were empty, he would not be shouting,

And he would not be angry. 

If you can empty your own boat

Crossing the river of the world,

No one will oppose you,

No one will seek to harm you. 

Who can free himself of achievement and fame

Then descend and be lost

Amidst the masses of men? 

He will flow unseen…

He will go about like life itself,

With no name and no home.

Simple is he, without distinction.

To all appearances he is a fool.

His steps leave no trace. 

He has no power.

He achieves nothing,

He has no reputation. 

Since he judges no one,

No one judges him. 

Such is the perfect man —

His boat is empty.

—- a Chuang Tzu story