One evening a monk knocked on the door of a Zen monastery. He wanted to stay there overnight. He was tired and hungry. The owner opened the door, but instead of greeting him with “good evening” or “hello,” he greeted him with a very famous Zen koan. He said:
-What is your original face, the face you had before your father and mother were born?
The monk took his sandal off his foot and hit the owner hard in the face with it. The owner stepped back, bowed and said:
- Welcome. Your insight is amazing.
Then they had a meal. In the middle of the cold night they were sitting by the fire, chatting, and the guest asked:
“Did you yourself receive an answer or not to the koan that you asked me?”
The owner said:
- I'm not so lucky. No, I didn't receive an answer. But I understood it when you gave me the answer. After all, I have read so much about Zen, heard so much... You did not hesitate for a single moment, you did not think about it. It came from your integrity. He was out of my head - that's what I could understand.
The guest did not answer. He continued to sip his tea. But then the owner became suspicious. He looked at the guest's face again and found something in it that he did not like. So he asked again:
- Please tell me: do you really know the answer? Did you receive it?
The guest burst out laughing and began to roll around on the carpet in deep joy. He said:
- No, sir. I, too, have read too much about Zen and heard too much about it.
If there is too much knowledge, it becomes an obstacle. You can "know" without knowing. This is the danger of knowledge. Deep down you remain ignorant, but on the surface you know everything there is to know.
You can deceive others, but the greater danger is that one day you may deceive yourself. Then all possibility of growth will disappear.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru