When an ordinary man attains knowledge, he is a sage; when a sage attains understanding, he is an ordinary manWww@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>Philosophy> What does this Zen quote mean?Question: What does this Zen quote mean!? When an ordinary man attains knowledge, he is a sage; when a sage attains understanding, he is an ordinary manWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: This is a wise and beautiful quote!. When an ordinary man gains knowledge he will become wiser and so through the process of gaining knowledge and experience he will become like a sage!. But when a wise man really understands what life is all about and has gained knowledge to help him grasp such meanings then he realises that there is so much more to learn and so much more to understand that he realises he is simply an ordinary person!. All ordinary persons are seeking knowledge!. So the more we know the more we find we do not know and seek deeper for understanding of self and others!. Www@QuestionHome@Com Imo, knowledge is to sage as understanding is to chopping wood and carrying water!. Ordinary conditioned outer waking consciousness ~ Nietzsche's herd mentality!. Know-ledge, particularly of Kingdom, Atman, brings wisdom (wise dominion)!. Under-standing (Plato's "hypo-thesis") brings chopping wood, carrying water, awakened!. "The Path of the Higher Self," Mark Prophet, "Soul Traveler," Albert Taylor, "Testimony of Light," Helen Greaves, "Quietly Comes the Buddha," "The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce!?", Free and Wilcock, "The Master of Lucid Dreams," Dr!. Olga Kharitidi, "Men in White Apparel," Ann Ree Colton!.Www@QuestionHome@Com There was once a monk who spent his whole life seated indoors, striving for enlightenment!. There came once to his monastery a rugged traveler!. The monk scoffed, "Why, you are but a traveler, and know nothing of enlightenment!." The traveler pulled off his hood and revealed himself to be the great Master Tseng Hong!. "The key to enlightenment," he said, "is not laziness!." -Zen koan Practice thirty more years!. -Zen sayingWww@QuestionHome@Com It's obviously implying that ordinary men have understanding and sages have knowledge!. The quote is nothing more than a paradoxical observation, whose meaning is to artfully express to you the duality of knowledge and understanding with that of being ordinary and extraordinary!. Www@QuestionHome@Com Ordinary is beautiful! Does a drop of rain become the ocean or does the ocean become a drop of rain!? ~~~~~ There is something magical within a circle!. That something magical within a circle is the "point" known as the center! May we become centered!.!.!.!. Www@QuestionHome@Com it's zen so you get the full circle effect and it means everyone can learn no matter who you are and we are all the same Www@QuestionHome@Com The more you know, the more you realize that you know very little!. Kind of like that!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Zen quotes do not mean anything!. They are meant to start you thinking!.Www@QuestionHome@Com He is one and the same (both), it is just a matter of realizing it+Www@QuestionHome@Com |