Sometimes we go to teachers because we think we’re broken and they’re going to fix us. That leads to a lot of confusion and disappointment. The truth is that no one can fix us. No one can walk the path for us. We have to do it ourselves. But, on the bright side, we can.
By Daniel Scharpenburg
I’ve recently been reading the text, Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, and I wanted to share this story.
A student goes to Master Ma and says, “I want you to teach me”
Master Ma says, “What a fool you are! You already have the greatest treasure within you.”
This is a well known story in the Zen tradition. What can this story tell us about ourselves?
Sometimes we go to teachers because we think we’re broken and they’re going to fix us. That leads to a lot of confusion and disappointment. The truth is that no one can fix us. No one can walk the path for us. We have to do it ourselves, but, on the bright side, we can.
We can chase happiness everywhere. We spend so much time in the race to get more things, more attention, but we don’t stop and appreciate the world for what it is. We don’t take the time to recognize what we already have.
Sometimes we get caught up chasing enlightenment. We think we are not good meditators or that we aren’t good Buddhists, but maybe we are already there.
You already have everything you need. Awakening is your natural state. You have the treasure.
Photo: Pixabay
Editor: Dana Gornall
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Daniel has been was given teaching authority by the International Chan Buddhism Institute. He did Mindfulness Teacher Training through the Anchor Meditation Center and also the Rime Buddhist Center.
Find out more about Daniel here and connect with him on Facebook
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