Theos-Talk Archives (March 2004 Message tt00142)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Bill Meredith" 
<bill_meredith@e...> wrote:
> Neither you nor Leon have gained the complete understanding of 
meditation.

I cannot speak for Leon but it is certainly true in my case that I 
have not gained the complete understanding of meditation or anything 
else. It is a continuous and endless unfolding.

I met a Chinese master years ago who is now deceased. He spokse no 
English but I was told by his prize student (who spoke both Chinese 
and English and is married to a Chinese woman, or was at the time) 
that even though this master had studied since he was six (he died at 
age 82) he was reluctant to put anything in writing or other tangible 
form because after 76 years of study he did not feel that he knew 
enough yet to leave such a record. (He did teach.) He was very 
highly regarded in his native country, so this should be interpreted 
with that in mind. He is no longer with us, but I presume what he 
meant by that was that since he was constantly learning, any document 
he could leave behind might be mooted by his continuing unfolding 
insight. Our western society teaches that one must arrive at a final 
dogma of some sort which will obviate the need for more learning. 
But this master struck me as far wiser, and as a man who knew that if 
such a final word existed, the sincere student would hope never to 
actually attain it, but to always be pursuing it, as a straggler in 
the desert chases the horizon.