Learning From Zen Stories 4

Sounds of Silence

Four monks decided to meditate silently without speaking for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle began to flicker and then went out. The first monk said, "Oh, no! The candle is out." The second monk said, "Aren't we not suppose to talk?" The third monk said, "Why must you two break the silence?" The fourth monk laughed and said, "Ha! I'm the only one who didn't speak."

Reflections From People's Comments
* "Each monk broke the silence for a different reason, each of which is a common stumbling block to meditation. The first monk became distracted by one element of the world (the candle) and so lost sight of the rest. The second monk was more worried about rules than the meditation itself. The third monk let his anger at the first two rule him. And the final monk was lost in his ego."
* "It's easy to point our fingers at the 'faults' of others but oftentimes, before long we make the very 'mistakes' we are critical of."
* "In the course of our life, mistakes or faults arise because of a lack of good mindfulness."
* "One needs to be mindful of one's EGO ... 'I'm better than all others' type of attitude very often causes problems of relationship with others."