The Tao of Dark Sages
by Scott Bradley
As for Gabi, I began to see changes immediately. The most obvious was that we no longer smoked hash and made love. This was not, for me, a positive development and I hoped desperately that it was merely a momentary expression of the ‘mountains are mountains’ syndrome.
Yes, I will explain.
There is a famous story among Zen folk about an enlightened master, Ching-yuan, who describes his passage from a mere neophyte to awakening. I’ve dug up the quote in Watts: “Before I had studied Zen for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and waters as waters. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains...But now that I have got its very substance I am at rest. For it’s just that I see mountains once again as mountains...”
The point being that when one first begins to have insight into the illusory character of reality, the tendency is to dismiss it. When one attains further insight, however, that reality is again embraced, for the Tao is in all things. So, my hope was that Gabi would make speedy progress! And she did, as it turned out, but it did me little good, as you shall see.
It has just occurred to me that you might have a problem with me, your editor, lusting after my guru, smoking hash and having casual sex. Ha! Good! If such is the case, what beliefs do you think might inspire these opinions and judgments? How liberating, indeed, the loss of faith! However, such liberation taking time, by way of concession to your sensibilities, think of me as a mere reporter.
I am not a sage. It’s not my story. Nor are these my words. I am simply sharing what I’ve heard — which, according to Mark-tzu, Sue-tzu, Chuang-tzu, and probably a lot of other –tzu’s, is ample enough proof of my spiritual adolescence. Think of me as the low-life reporter that brings you someone else’s story.
If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here.
Yes, I will explain.
There is a famous story among Zen folk about an enlightened master, Ching-yuan, who describes his passage from a mere neophyte to awakening. I’ve dug up the quote in Watts: “Before I had studied Zen for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and waters as waters. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains...But now that I have got its very substance I am at rest. For it’s just that I see mountains once again as mountains...”
The point being that when one first begins to have insight into the illusory character of reality, the tendency is to dismiss it. When one attains further insight, however, that reality is again embraced, for the Tao is in all things. So, my hope was that Gabi would make speedy progress! And she did, as it turned out, but it did me little good, as you shall see.
It has just occurred to me that you might have a problem with me, your editor, lusting after my guru, smoking hash and having casual sex. Ha! Good! If such is the case, what beliefs do you think might inspire these opinions and judgments? How liberating, indeed, the loss of faith! However, such liberation taking time, by way of concession to your sensibilities, think of me as a mere reporter.
I am not a sage. It’s not my story. Nor are these my words. I am simply sharing what I’ve heard — which, according to Mark-tzu, Sue-tzu, Chuang-tzu, and probably a lot of other –tzu’s, is ample enough proof of my spiritual adolescence. Think of me as the low-life reporter that brings you someone else’s story.
If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here.
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