donkey 
Dismount your
donkey at the summit.
Some places in this world are very hard to climb, and people use
animals. Each person can only ride one, and so each animal might have a
different name. The riders go up the trail in different orders, and
they discuss their varying opinions about their experiences. They may
even have conflicting opinions: One traveler may think the trip
thrilling, another may find it terrifying, and a third may find it
banal.
At the summit all the travelers stand in the same place. Each of them
has the same chance to view the same vistas. The donkeys are put to
rest and graze; they are not needed anymore.
We all travel the path of Tao. The donkeys are the various doctrines
that each of us embraces. What does it matter which donkey might be a
Zen donkey, mine might be a Tao donkey. There are Christian, Islamic,
Jewish, Hindu, Pagan, and even Agnostic donkeys. All lead to the same
place. Why poke fun at others over the name of their donkey? Aren’t you
riding one yourself?
We should put aside both the donkeys and our interim experiences once
we arrive at the summit. Whether we climbed in suffering or joy is
immaterial; we are there. all religions have different names for the
ways of getting to the holy summit. Once we reach the summit, we no
longer need names, and we can experience all things directly.
donkey
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9
..
Little bird on long stone 1934
by Fu Bao Shi
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