Mind over Matter

Buddha Groove (buddhagroove.com) rewritten by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

Zen story: Mind over Matter

A conceited young archer dared a Zen master who was renowned for his archery to a competition.

The youth’s skill was extraordinary. His first arrow hit the target, a distant bull’s eye. His next split the first arrow in two.

“Think you can match that?” he asked the old Zen master with a condescending tone.

Rise above: How to raise mind over matter?

Instead of responding, the elderly Buddhist monk gestured to the young man to follow him higher up the mountain until they arrived at a deep gorge. There an old and unsteady log spanned the chasm in place of a bridge.

The Zen master serenely walked onto the log, then standing at the center of it, took aim at a distant tree, and with a clean movement released his arrow. It flew straight to meet its target.

“Your turn now,” he said to the young man, as he casually stepped back onto the edge of the cliff.

The youth stared down into the gaping chasm and began to tremble uncontrollably. He could not bring himself to place his foot on the unsteady log, much less take aim at anything beyond it.

The master observed, “You have great control over that bow, but as for the mind that wields it...”

• The ego, for which we do so much, is not the way to real skill and power. See through it and awaken to reality. Source