You cannot be great until you break free of the people who hold you back.

"That's what happens when you're angry at people. You make them part of your life." - Garrison Keillor

from 101 zen stories:

Muddy Road

Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't do near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"

I love that story, C.

Do you have any more like it?

Life needs more zen koans.

As far as i can tell, life is 99% koan, 1% obvious.

I wish life were 99% ice cream, 1% koan.

:)

Do you get it?

I see, but I do not understand.

Do not carry any more than you have to.

True Friends

A long time ago in China there were two friends, one who played the harp skilfully and one who listen skillfully.

When the one played or sang about a mountain, the other would say: "I can see the mountain before us."

When the one played about water, the listener would exclaim: "Here is the running stream!"

But the listener fell sick and died. The first friend cut the strings of his harp and never played again. Since that time the cutting of harp strings has always been a sign of intimate friendship.