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From: wfs@mgweed.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sport
Subject: Zen and Intuitive Response
Message-ID: <1413@mgweed.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Jun-83 08:43:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: mgweed.1413
Posted: Thu Jun 16 08:43:50 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jun-83 17:37:22 EDT
Organization: Western Electric - Montgomery Illinois
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                 Zen and Intuitive Response(part 4)

  A Zen story tells  of a boy who wanted to be displined  in  the
art of fencing. He sought the tutelage of a great master to begin
his training.  The master, who was in retirement, agreed to train
the  boy,  whereupon the master made the student draw water, cook
food, gather wood, and other everyday household duties. There was
no formal training. Finally the disillusioned boy complained that
he was there to learn the art of  swordmanship,  not  innkeeping.
The master agreed. the result was that the young man could not do
any piece of work with a feeling of safty.  For when he began  to
cook  rice  early  in  the  morning,  the master would appear and
strike him from behind with a stick. When he was in the midst  of
his  sweeping,  he would be feeling the same blow from an unknown
direction. He had no peace of mind; he had to be  always  on  the
alert.   some years passed before he could successfully dodge the
blow from whatever source it might come. But the master  was  not
quite  satisfied  with  him  yet.  One  day  the master was found
cooking his own vegetables over an open fire. The pupil  took  it
into his head to avail himself of this opportunity. Taking up his
big stick, he let it fall on the head of the master, who was then
stooping  over  the  cooking  pan  to  stir its contents. But the
pupil's stick was caught by the master with the cover of the pan.
This  opened  the student's mind to the secrets of the art, which
had hitherto been kept from him.  He  then  for  the  first  time
really  appreciated  the  unparalleled  kindness  of  the master.
Through this mode of instruction the master opened the  student's
eyes to a reactive consciousness that is alert, ever watchful and
responsive even though our mind  or  thoughts  be  occupied  with
other matters...................(to be cont'd. in part 5)