Zen Story

[oddiezz]

Bumped into this story lately.

Can not understand it.

Anybody care to give some enlightment ?

thx.
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Gutei's finger.

Whenever anyone asked him about Zen, the great master Gutei would quietly raise one finger into the air.
A boy in the village began to imitate this behavior. Whenever he heard people talking about Gutei's teachings, he would interrupt the discussion and raise his finger.
Gutei heard about the boy's mischief.
When he saw him in the street, he seized him and cut off his finger.
The boy cried and began to run off, but Gutei called out to him. When the boy turned to look, Gutei raised his finger into the air.
At that moment the boy became enlightened.

[Lex Chan]

My comment: enlightenment is beyond words.
That is Zen! 

[Subzer0]

Ain't this the right time for one to ask, "What's up?"
Hehe, j/k.  I wonder, myself...
I'm relatively with this post I saw at Gina Smith's:

The reason why Gutei cut off the finger is not as important as why the boy stopped crying and attained enlightenment.

My personal insight into this story is that the boy initially cried at the loss of the finger. But upon seeing his own finger (assuming Gutei raised the boys severed finger)at a distance the boy attained the realisation that if the finger is not truly a part of him, then what is he crying for?

The story demonstrates that we identify ourselves with our body. But which ‘part’ of us is really us!!!! This story challenges us to question our notion of what we consider to be the 'self'.

Regards
Avinash (UK)

[saltwatermonkey]

I think Buddha Gautama n also Gutei, they knew how 2 make some1 get enlightment with something that looked weird n not make sense with us. Maybe they could see some1's karma or else. Because everyone has different karma n of course 2 get enlightment everyone has different way. Probably we don't understand why he had 2 cut his finger, but 4 sure it worked 4 him. He got enlightment with that.

I read tis story b4 :
 Once upon a time there's a monk that was so difficult 2 memorized sutta n 2 meditated. He got frustrate then n nearly wanted 2 give up. He started 2 think that maybe Buddha Dhamma teaching wasn't suitable 4 him. His teacher who knew that he wanted 2 give up just gave him a broom n asked 2 him 2 sweep the temple. He swept n started 2 sang a song. 'Sweep.. Sweep the floor. Sweep all the dirt 2 make it clean...' Suddenly, he realized something,'Dirt? Is my heart n my mind dirty also? Yes, I've 2 clean my mind n my heart.'
Then he got the enlightment.

More or less the story was like that.


My mom also sweep the floor 4 everyday, but still she hasn't get any enlightment yet. Why?? Maybe it's not her time yet or her karma isn't work yet 4 her 2 get enlightment. Maybe 2 sweep 2 floor is not her way. Maybe she must try 2 cook turtle soup? 2 surf on beach? 2 play football?. I dunno.. Or just because she don't want 2 get enlightment yet. I never know.