Just need to be right and …

Even though practically nobody comes here and read this blog, I still feel a lingering guilt when I come back and post some new material here. It’s like calling back an old friend after a long time without hearing anything from each other, you know he won’t mind, because after all he’s your friend, and friends are - or should - always be here for each other, no matter how long you’ve been apart, no matter what have happened; But , whether it’s for him or just for your own peace of mind, you still fill to justify, to make an excuse, or to think of a reason.
So why make an excuse in the first place? That’s something I need to think about some more.

Here is a story that really made me think, well of course, it’s a “zen tale”, they are made to make you think. I’m not saying I’m going to pick up Zen-studies tomorrow, but sometimes getting something not related to your daily life to think about is a great help.

The boat and the two monks

One fall night, the Saitama river was almost entirely covered by a thick fog. A monk and a young novice were going to cross the river on a small boat. The river stream was yellow and in tumult, a violent wind just started blowing :
“Master, I know we are expected at the Rishiko monastery, wouldn’t it be safer to postpone our visit to tomorrow? We could eat a nigiri and sleep in the hut we just passed.
- … “
As his master was just keeping silent, Kasuku resigned himself to get on the boat, and started to row. We could only distinguish a small dark line where the other side of the river should have been.
“Master, the river is wide and the wind that blow on our side is strong, it keep us from going on as we’d like to.
-…”
A few minutes later, that seemed like hours for Kasuku, he was still rowing in silence, with worries in his heart.
Suddenly, letting go of the oars, he stood up pointing in some direction with his arm.
“Master! Master! Look at this boat we can distinguish upstream, it’s coming right at us.
-…
-Master! It will collide with us, our boat will be torn apart, we will capsize. Hey, You on the boat! Hey, You ! If only I could get my hands on the person that is riding that boat, I would teach him the consequence of endangering the lives of two saints-men like us!
-…
-Master! The boat is getting closer. I can see the pilot now, the idiot is peacefully sleeping!
-…
-Master! The boat is really near. For Brahma’s sake! This criminal be damned, that he be reborn over and over for a million years, let him be a rat, a bug, a hyena, …”
When the two boat collided, be it a lucky wave or the master skillful handling, but the boats didn’t capsize, and each peacefully continued on its path.
“Kasuku, did you see what was inside the other boat? asked the zen monk.
- Yes, Master. What I though was a man, was a grain bag.
- Tell me, Kasuku, who were you getting mad at?”

I hope my translation isn’t too bad for you to understand this story. Just think how many times you got mad at just nobody or nothing, just screaming, pointlessly.