My OperaFear & carpe diem
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 12:53:23 AM
How often do we consciously or sub-consciously allow our fears, issues, insecurities dictate what we do or don't do, do or don't experience?
To just release those fears, inhibitions and feel, experience is one of the central themes to this zen story.
One day, while walking through the wilderness, a man encountered a vicious tiger. He ran for his life, and the tiger gave chase.
The man came to the edge of a cliff, and the tiger was almost upon him. Having no choice, he held on to a vine with both hands and climbed down.
Halfway down the cliff, the man looked up and saw the tiger at the top, baring its fangs. He looked down and saw another tiger at the bottom, waiting for his arrival and roaring at him. He was caught between the two.
Two rats, one white and one black, showed up on the vine above him. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, they started gnawing on the vine.
He knew that as the rats kept gnawing, they would reach a point when the vine would no longer be able to support his weight. It would break and he would fall. He tried to shoo the rats away, but they kept coming back.
At that moment, he noticed a strawberry growing on the face of the cliff, not far away from him. It looked plump and ripe. Holding onto the vine with one hand and reaching out with the other, he plucked it.
With a tiger above, another below, and two rats continuing to gnaw on his vine, the man tasted the strawberry and found it absolutely delicious.
Of course letting go of living through our fears does not mean being uncautious in life, or to ignore instincts telling us to be careful ... the message is very much about harmony, living without fear whilst bearing in mind, mindfull action, moderation, humility, compassion, awareness of self and so on.
TTC 63 points us to ways we can deal with letting go, baby steps, break things up into bite sized peices and even the most difficult tasks will be easier.
This is also a lesson i think all of us learns and re-learns throughout our cultivation and life; it is certainly one i keep learning and re-learning as i walk this crazy path of dao cultivation and life experiences.
peace to you
beccaxx
Zen story source and full article can be found http://www.taoism.net/living/2003/200301.htm
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