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| Leshan, Sichuan, China:
The largest stone Buddha in the world - carved from the mountainside in 90 years starting in 713 AD. The small Buddha on the right is viewable only from the water. |
|
| Leshan, Sichuan, China:
The largest stone Buddha in the world - carved from the mountainside in 90 years starting in 713 AD. The small Buddha on the right is viewable only from the water. |
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 each animal might have a different name. The riders go up the trail in different order, and they discuss their varying opinions about their experiences. They may even have conflicting opinions. One traveler might 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 vista. 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 embrace. What does it matter which doctrine we embrace as long as it leads us to the summit? Your donkey might be a Zen donkey, mine might be a Tao donkey. There are Sufi, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, Christian, 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
Deng Ming-Dao
Daily Meditations