The Elephant and the Flea.

The master came into the room and looked out at his assembled students. He looked at the expectant faces and wondered just what he could say that would be of great value to them. He had just arisen from a sleepless night wondering about the very same thing.


He sat at the front of the room on a cushion, and again looked at his students. There was an expectant hush. The master, usually in a very few words lifted them with something to think about.

The silence was broken by a student standing up and drawing the eye of the master. “Master,” said the student, “what exactly is enlightenment?”

The master produced a banana, peeled it, and started eating. "Is that all? Can't you show me anything else?" the student said. "Come closer, please," the master replied. The student moved in and the master waved the remaining portion of the banana before the student's face. The student prostrated, and left.

A second student rose to address the audience. "Do you all understand?" When there was no response, the student added, "You have just witnessed a first-rate demonstration of enlightenment. Are there any questions?"

After a long silence, someone spoke up. "Master, I am not satisfied with your demonstration. You have shown us something that I am not sure I understand. It must be possible to TELL us what enlightenment is."

"If you must insist on words," the master replied, "then enlightenment is an elephant copulating with a flea."

There are just some things in life that cannot be explained in words. It is at this point the artist is challenged to show. Somebody wrote of one of my paintings yesterday, “This painting makes me think, the texture gives a longing to be touched. It has an ancient Ariel view about it. Good work…. very good work! Five Stars.

That it made the viewer think is enough for me never mind the stars. This is the way of Tao.



This blog is linked to my other  Samadhi