Hah! Not much fear on that last point. I'm Australian.
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Tell Us a Story from Your Religion!
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Hah! Not much fear on that last point. I'm Australian.
Put another book on the barby, eh mate!
A story I wrote:
Wu Feng Reveals the Secret of Happiness By Frank A. Doonan
Six Taoist students decided to go fishing one spring morning after meditations. The first two started out for the river early and arrived first because the other four had chores to finish. The first two students, Gao Jian and Wang Jing, arrived at the river bank and placed their jugs of wine, bread, fishing poles and bait by the rocks. They relaxed and talked while they waited for the other students to arrive. They opened their wine jugs and took out their bread, and began eating
Gao Jian sighed .and breathed deeply, “Isn’t spring wonderful. I love the smell of the cherry blossoms.”
Wang Jing sniffed and grumbled nasally, “Mymmph! I have allergies and sinus headaches, all I smell is the onions a sat on.”
Gao Jian said, “There are so many scientists in the world trying to discover the secrets of the universe, but no cure for allergies. What is the point of all this effort? Is it not wiser to just relax and behold the universe.”
Wang Jing, rubbed his back against a tree and shrugged, “Yes, there is a lot of wasted efforts by science to discover what cannot be discovered. But since nothing in reality exists, would it not be better to relax and behold no universe?”
As they were speaking Li Zhang and Xu Yang walked up placing their fishing poles and bait next to the others and sat down. They had overheard Wang Jian’s comment, “Interesting, what really is the nature of existence?”
Wang Jing sniffed again, “Actually, I was still hoping for a cure for allergies.”
“Yes it is Li Zhang. Science devotes a lot of effort to find the secrets of the universe. Is it not true that there are no secrets to a universe that does not exist? Would it not be best to relax and behold not the universe or if it is all an illusion, behold an empty universe?” Xu Yang said.
“Interesting point, but when you consider that the existence or non-existence of the universe is a contradiction, and emptiness or non-emptiness is meaningless. All existence simply arises from and returns to the void, which is unknown to all except the void whether it is real or not. The void of course does not know itself, because knowledge as we know it is pointless when all things are one in the void. So why not simply relax and behold?” Li Zhang responded.
As they conversed Qin Zhang, and Wu Feng sat down with the others and listened. Wu Feng opened his package of bait and carefully cut his bait while Xu Yang spoke. “It is indeed wise and true that the scientists are in a fruitless quest for knowledge of the universe. As Li Zhang pointed out it is indeed simpler to relax and behold. But is it necessary to behold or hold on to anything. Would it not be simpler to relax and be?”
“All this is well and good, but even our efforts to be may be as fruitless as those of the scientists to discover the secrets of the universe. Is it not simpler yet to just relax?” Qin Zhang added.
“What do you think Wu Feng? Is Qin Zhang’s way to simply relax, the better way, or must we also be or do something else?” Li Zhang asked.
Wu Feng ignored the question as he baited his hook and carefully cast his line into the shadow of a large tree covered with white blossoms. Suddenly there was a big splash as a large silver fish leaped from the water caught on Wu Feng’s hook. A big grin spread across Wu Feng’s face as he slowly and carefully wadded into the river and pulled the large fish to him. A shroud of silence fell over the group and they momentarily froze watching Wu Feng pick up the wiggling splashing fish by the gills. Suddenly they all leaped to their feet, spilling jugs of wine and dropping their bread, as they all ran to grab their poles and bait.
Wu Feng Reveals the Secret of Happiness By Frank A. Doonan
Six Taoist students decided to go fishing one spring morning after meditations. The first two started out for the river early and arrived first because the other four had chores to finish. The first two students, Gao Jian and Wang Jing, arrived at the river bank and placed their jugs of wine, bread, fishing poles and bait by the rocks. They relaxed and talked while they waited for the other students to arrive. They opened their wine jugs and took out their bread, and began eating
Gao Jian sighed .and breathed deeply, “Isn’t spring wonderful. I love the smell of the cherry blossoms.”
Wang Jing sniffed and grumbled nasally, “Mymmph! I have allergies and sinus headaches, all I smell is the onions a sat on.”
Gao Jian said, “There are so many scientists in the world trying to discover the secrets of the universe, but no cure for allergies. What is the point of all this effort? Is it not wiser to just relax and behold the universe.”
Wang Jing, rubbed his back against a tree and shrugged, “Yes, there is a lot of wasted efforts by science to discover what cannot be discovered. But since nothing in reality exists, would it not be better to relax and behold no universe?”
As they were speaking Li Zhang and Xu Yang walked up placing their fishing poles and bait next to the others and sat down. They had overheard Wang Jian’s comment, “Interesting, what really is the nature of existence?”
Wang Jing sniffed again, “Actually, I was still hoping for a cure for allergies.”
“Yes it is Li Zhang. Science devotes a lot of effort to find the secrets of the universe. Is it not true that there are no secrets to a universe that does not exist? Would it not be best to relax and behold not the universe or if it is all an illusion, behold an empty universe?” Xu Yang said.
“Interesting point, but when you consider that the existence or non-existence of the universe is a contradiction, and emptiness or non-emptiness is meaningless. All existence simply arises from and returns to the void, which is unknown to all except the void whether it is real or not. The void of course does not know itself, because knowledge as we know it is pointless when all things are one in the void. So why not simply relax and behold?” Li Zhang responded.
As they conversed Qin Zhang, and Wu Feng sat down with the others and listened. Wu Feng opened his package of bait and carefully cut his bait while Xu Yang spoke. “It is indeed wise and true that the scientists are in a fruitless quest for knowledge of the universe. As Li Zhang pointed out it is indeed simpler to relax and behold. But is it necessary to behold or hold on to anything. Would it not be simpler to relax and be?”
“All this is well and good, but even our efforts to be may be as fruitless as those of the scientists to discover the secrets of the universe. Is it not simpler yet to just relax?” Qin Zhang added.
“What do you think Wu Feng? Is Qin Zhang’s way to simply relax, the better way, or must we also be or do something else?” Li Zhang asked.
Wu Feng ignored the question as he baited his hook and carefully cast his line into the shadow of a large tree covered with white blossoms. Suddenly there was a big splash as a large silver fish leaped from the water caught on Wu Feng’s hook. A big grin spread across Wu Feng’s face as he slowly and carefully wadded into the river and pulled the large fish to him. A shroud of silence fell over the group and they momentarily froze watching Wu Feng pick up the wiggling splashing fish by the gills. Suddenly they all leaped to their feet, spilling jugs of wine and dropping their bread, as they all ran to grab their poles and bait.
arthra
Baha'i
As a Baha'i I'll share a story from the early life of Baha'u'llah the Prophet Founder of the Baha'i Faith. The story is self explanatory:
As He grew into a young man, Baha'u'llah exhibited great sagacity and insight. The following story is told by ‘Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'u'llah's son.
One day while still a youth, Baha'u'llah went to visit Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Mujtahid Nuri, one of the great clerics of Iran at this time who was known as ‘Allamih (the very learned) Nuri, at his home in the village of Yalrtud, near Takur. ‘Allhmih had around him a group of his senior students whom he was teaching. He asked four of them, who had almost completed their studies and were about to receive their certificates, about an Islamic Tradition that says that Fatimih, the daughter of Muhammad, was the best of the women in the world except for the one to whom Mary gave birth. ‘Allamih asked these four what this Tradition meant, since Mary had no daughter.
Each gave an explanation that did not satisfy their teacher. Then Baha'u'llah suggested that this Tradition was merely emphasizing the high station of Fatirmih by saying that only an imaginary person could be likened to her. The teacher was silent, but when Baha'u'llah had left he upbraided his pupils saying that he had expected more from them than this: that a mere youth would explain what they who wore a turban and the garb of the learned and had almost completed their studies had failed to discern.
As He grew into a young man, Baha'u'llah exhibited great sagacity and insight. The following story is told by ‘Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'u'llah's son.
One day while still a youth, Baha'u'llah went to visit Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Mujtahid Nuri, one of the great clerics of Iran at this time who was known as ‘Allamih (the very learned) Nuri, at his home in the village of Yalrtud, near Takur. ‘Allhmih had around him a group of his senior students whom he was teaching. He asked four of them, who had almost completed their studies and were about to receive their certificates, about an Islamic Tradition that says that Fatimih, the daughter of Muhammad, was the best of the women in the world except for the one to whom Mary gave birth. ‘Allamih asked these four what this Tradition meant, since Mary had no daughter.
Each gave an explanation that did not satisfy their teacher. Then Baha'u'llah suggested that this Tradition was merely emphasizing the high station of Fatirmih by saying that only an imaginary person could be likened to her. The teacher was silent, but when Baha'u'llah had left he upbraided his pupils saying that he had expected more from them than this: that a mere youth would explain what they who wore a turban and the garb of the learned and had almost completed their studies had failed to discern.