A monk asked Zhao Zhou to
teach him.
Zhao Zhou asked, "Have you eaten your meal?"
The monk replied, "Yes, I have."
"Then go wash your bowl," said Zhao Zhou.
At that moment, the monk was enlightened.
(Koan)
First reaction
Is that it?
Exploration
What was the monk expecting to be taught?
Why is he satisfied with Zhao Zhou's instructions?
In what way are they to be considered teachings?
Eating and washing-up are unremarkable - do you need somebody to tell you to do
it?
Possible meaning
Expectations and preconceptions lead people to expect convoluted
teachings and magical insights.
Real understanding is rooted in the everyday, in the ordinary, in the mundane.
There is no feat involved.
Eating food and washing the bowl are unremarkable skills, yet we can become
whole by immersing ourselves in the reality of the moment.
Zen is concerned with the tangible, the real, the substantial. It is so simple
that we miss it.
It is not to be found in ideas and concepts.
Cleaning a bowl offers greater insight than metaphysical teachings.
Asking somebody else to teach you denies the individual the opportunity to learn
for themselves.
Instead of being your responsibility, you are asking somebody else to lead you.
Page created 19 May 2005