Saturday, February 7, 2015

"Suchness"

The master sculptor surveyed the different blocks of marble at the quarry.
In his lifetime he had learned that there existed a "suchness" to every piece of stone.
Finding that suchness and releasing it to its true life had been the secret of the sculptor's success. "Ah-ha," he would say.
"There is a heroic figure locked in that piece and a saint trapped inside that other one. But where will I find the stone from which I will sculpt my masterwork, a glorious statue of the Buddha?" He had been searching for what he called the "Buddha block" for over forty years and now he felt his energies waning.
He had traveled to the great quarries of the world: Italy where Michelangelo had mined 
his stone, Vermont where the stone glowed with light, and to obscure regions of the mountains of China.
Nowhere could he find that one perfect slab from which he knew he could release the most perfect likeness of Buddha. He consulted experts from around the world. He hired a specialist to scour obscure areas. No success.
In search of consolation, he sought out a local Zen priest, who headed a small temple just at the end of his street.
When he explained his fruitless search, the priest smiled and said, "No problem."
"Do you mean you can tell me where I might find the perfect material from which I can release the Buddha of my dreams??" said the excited sculptor.
"Of course."
"Where?"
"Over there," said the priest, pointing to a stone well in the courtyard. 
The excited sculptor ran to the well and looked down. There he saw his own image looking back at him. 

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