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"If you were to be like me, then I would have to be like someone else, right?" The master states as he examines his pupil's reaction after asking the rhetorically humorous question.
"Why master?" the student responds, uncertain of the response his master expects and ignorant of the intended humor.
"Because if what I have taught you is to copy someone else, then I should practice what I preach, right?" The master's words now resonating with the student.
"So I should not strive to be like you? Shouldn't I want to learn so that I can be a master like you?" The student's sincerity clear within his tone.
"Yes Denny, but you should be learning to become your true self, your own master. If you continue to see me as someone who you hope to become one day, then that perception will interfere with your ability to understand the Tao or attain zen. When you eventually awaken your true inner being, you will resent me for having taught you false lessons." The master now examining his student carefully with his brow lowered and his eyes focused, no longer in a joking mood.
"Then I should learn from you but not want to be you, because it will cause me anger later on?" Denny asks as he slows his pace to fall behind Zen Chen.
"That is a fair question. Not because it will cause anger, but that would be a consequence. In all honesty, I am not sure I can properly explain all the cause and effects associated with the process of a student's training leading to a magnification of the emotions, but let's see. During training you feel a great sense of humility and see your guide, or teacher perhaps, as superior and a model to follow and mimic. However, upon your awakening, you come to realize this person was actually an obstacle and not really even a guide, possibly causing you to have an incorrect view, interpretation, or understanding for proper meditation. Such a realization can stir up emotions associated with blame, guilt, embarrassment, resentment, hostility, and the list goes on. Part of being on the path that is important to remember is that you must stay true to the path even when you believe you have attained all that you set to acquire."
"That is very confusing master zen," the student fumbles his words as he mispronounces his teacher's name.
"Let me explain, if we continue endlessly failing without changing the approach, then to expect the results to conform to our verbal demands is like being mad at this rock here for not getting out of my way." The master points at a large stone obstructing his path.
"Stupid rock!" the student jokes, hoping to indicate to the master he has filled his mind with as much wisdom as his young mind will allow for the day.
"Hmm, very funny Denny. We are late to meet the queen. Let's hasten our pace by two-fifths of our current speed of three miles an hour. So how fast should that be?"
What!!! Denny thinks to himself as his eyes pop open with surprise and reveal his emotions at the master's insistence of more instruction.
"Stop it Denny," Zen Chen commands, revealing his awareness of his student's internal reaction, "A young mind needs to acquire as much knowledge and evolve as much as possible while you still can, or the best you can ever hope to become will never be greater than the master you idolize," Zen Chen's words failed to motivate the overstressed mind power he now demands with his new puzzle. "Okay Denny, last one, just tell me the acceleration rate we would need to apply if we were to achieve two-fifths more speed in ten seconds."
"I need paper and pencil master," the student denying his inherent ability to solve the equation without visualizing the solution.
"Very well, how about what our new speed would be if we were to accelerate to a speed of two-fifths our current speed," Zen Chen attempts to maintain his student's mental awareness.
"I'm not sure master, I would need to know our current speed," the student retorts intelligently.
"Very good Denny. That's is correct, it's important you remember that you were blessed with intelligence at birth while others sit in the gutters drooling to their demises, unaware of the curse they were born with. We are currently walking at three miles per hour," the master advises his student, while still implying a stern reminder of the many diseases and plagues encroaching on society's boundaries of decency and health.
"Why master?" the student responds, uncertain of the response his master expects and ignorant of the intended humor.
"Because if what I have taught you is to copy someone else, then I should practice what I preach, right?" The master's words now resonating with the student.
"So I should not strive to be like you? Shouldn't I want to learn so that I can be a master like you?" The student's sincerity clear within his tone.
"Yes Denny, but you should be learning to become your true self, your own master. If you continue to see me as someone who you hope to become one day, then that perception will interfere with your ability to understand the Tao or attain zen. When you eventually awaken your true inner being, you will resent me for having taught you false lessons." The master now examining his student carefully with his brow lowered and his eyes focused, no longer in a joking mood.
"Then I should learn from you but not want to be you, because it will cause me anger later on?" Denny asks as he slows his pace to fall behind Zen Chen.
"That is a fair question. Not because it will cause anger, but that would be a consequence. In all honesty, I am not sure I can properly explain all the cause and effects associated with the process of a student's training leading to a magnification of the emotions, but let's see. During training you feel a great sense of humility and see your guide, or teacher perhaps, as superior and a model to follow and mimic. However, upon your awakening, you come to realize this person was actually an obstacle and not really even a guide, possibly causing you to have an incorrect view, interpretation, or understanding for proper meditation. Such a realization can stir up emotions associated with blame, guilt, embarrassment, resentment, hostility, and the list goes on. Part of being on the path that is important to remember is that you must stay true to the path even when you believe you have attained all that you set to acquire."
"That is very confusing master zen," the student fumbles his words as he mispronounces his teacher's name.
"Let me explain, if we continue endlessly failing without changing the approach, then to expect the results to conform to our verbal demands is like being mad at this rock here for not getting out of my way." The master points at a large stone obstructing his path.
"Stupid rock!" the student jokes, hoping to indicate to the master he has filled his mind with as much wisdom as his young mind will allow for the day.
"Hmm, very funny Denny. We are late to meet the queen. Let's hasten our pace by two-fifths of our current speed of three miles an hour. So how fast should that be?"
What!!! Denny thinks to himself as his eyes pop open with surprise and reveal his emotions at the master's insistence of more instruction.
"Stop it Denny," Zen Chen commands, revealing his awareness of his student's internal reaction, "A young mind needs to acquire as much knowledge and evolve as much as possible while you still can, or the best you can ever hope to become will never be greater than the master you idolize," Zen Chen's words failed to motivate the overstressed mind power he now demands with his new puzzle. "Okay Denny, last one, just tell me the acceleration rate we would need to apply if we were to achieve two-fifths more speed in ten seconds."
"I need paper and pencil master," the student denying his inherent ability to solve the equation without visualizing the solution.
"Very well, how about what our new speed would be if we were to accelerate to a speed of two-fifths our current speed," Zen Chen attempts to maintain his student's mental awareness.
"I'm not sure master, I would need to know our current speed," the student retorts intelligently.
"Very good Denny. That's is correct, it's important you remember that you were blessed with intelligence at birth while others sit in the gutters drooling to their demises, unaware of the curse they were born with. We are currently walking at three miles per hour," the master advises his student, while still implying a stern reminder of the many diseases and plagues encroaching on society's boundaries of decency and health.
"You are right master, I shall solve this equation quickly. It's simply one-fifth of three times two. So now I have to figure out one-fifth of three, how do I do that?"
Zen Chen laughs politely, "Very good, Denny. You see, the key to success is knowing when a failure needs to be converted into a stepping stone towards success. One-fifth of three is the same as one-fifth of fifteen-fifths, right?"
"I'm already confused master," the student admits.
"Okay Denny, fair enough. Think of it this way. You are walking at three miles every hour. If you divide that by five, then you are walking 0.6 miles every fifth of an hour, or every twelve minutes; therefore, in one hour, you will have walked five times 0.6 miles, for a total of three miles."
"That seems complicated to remember for the next step master," the student still retaining his earnest inability to calculate the mathematics in his mind.
"Okay, let's slow it down Denny," the master agrees, "We are going 3 mph right now. In twenty minutes, we travel one mile. That is because in hour we travel three miles, so divide both by three, and we figure out one-third of both values. So one-third of an hour is twenty minutes, and one third of three is one, so in twenty minutes, we travel one mile. Right?"
"Yes Zen Master, that makes sense," the student finally acknowledges.
"Okay, now, if one is equal to any number divided by itself, then it equals 5/5, or five-fifths, just as it was equal to three-thirds, correct?"
"Yes teacher, that is correct."
"So just as we were able to calculate that 3 mph is really one mile every twenty minutes, we can now calculate that five-fifths of an hour is really five 12 minute intervals, right?" the teacher asks.
"Yes teacher, that sounds right."
"Okay, now we know two-fifths is a little less than half, right?" the teacher now simplifying.
"Yes teacher," the student agrees.
"So then our value will be a little less than half of three, right?"
"Yes teacher," the student agrees, now starting to sound robotic in response.
"Then we can figure out that two-fifths of three is three times two divided by five, does that make sense?" Zen Chen realizing he sped ahead too fast, "Let me rephrase that, two-fifths of an hour is 24 minutes, which is two times one-fifth of an hour, 12 minutes times two, right?"
"Yes master, that all sounds right," the student acknowledges.
"Then, let's conclude this now. We are traveling at 3 mph. I suggested we speed up by 2/5 our current speed. Our current speed is 15/5 mph, right?"
"Yes master, that is correct, because 15/5 equals 3," Denny now beginning to understand.
"So then, to increase by 2/5 our current speed, would be to increase by 6/15 our current speed. We simply add 6 to 15, making 21, and then divide 21 by 5 and we have our new speed, 4.2 mph, which is 1.2 mph faster than before; also, .6 mph twice added to our current speed, because is .6 is one-fifth of 3, and since we had to increase by 2/5 not 1/5, then it's .6 times 2 added to 3, giving up 1.2 plus 3, which equals 4.2," the master concludes.
Zen Chen inquires, "Did you follow and understand the mathematics?”
"No, I'm confused master," the student admits. (link coming soon)
"I understand master," the student acknowledges.
"Very good my student, then it is time you learned about the battle of good versus evil that we all have within us," Zen Chen concedes to his student's advancement. "Let us begin that quest now."