Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sdcc12.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcc3!sdcc12!wa371 From: wa371@sdcc12.UUCP (wa371) Newsgroups: net.suicide,net.religion,net.philosophy Subject: A different value of life; monks and tigers. Message-ID: <194@sdcc12.UUCP> Date: Sun, 3-Mar-85 00:21:10 EST Article-I.D.: sdcc12.194 Posted: Sun Mar 3 00:21:10 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 5-Mar-85 02:17:02 EST Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center Lines: 21 Xref: watmath net.suicide:657 net.religion:5847 net.philosophy:1495 (From the Jataka Tales, as I remember it.) A Buddhist monk, walking through the jungle, came to the edge of an abyss. There, below him he saw a tigress with her cubs. Her cubs were starving because she hadn't had anything to eat. The monk, heaving practiced compassion with all living beings, felt immense compassion with the cubs and flung himself over the abyss so that he could be food for the tigress. ...A monk, walking through the jungle, was attacked by a tiger. The monk, having practiced total awareness, calmly observed as the tiger started eating him, starting with his feet. When the tiger reached his knees, the monk reached the first stage of enlightenment. The tiger continued eating. The monk continued being calmly aware of what was happening. When the tiger reached the monk's hips, the monk reached the second stage of enlightenment. The tiger continued chewing as the monk continued just being calmly aware. When the tiger reached the monk's heart, the monk became fully enlightened and entered nirvana. Bernd Riechelmann (Not affiliated with, nor speaking for U.C. San Diego) UUCP: ...!ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcc12!wa371, ARPA: sdcsvax!sdcc12!wa371@nosc