Vision

In the Shao-Lin Monastery of Hunan, China, a teacher walked with a pupil in the courtyard. The teacher was known as the Blind Master. He had lost his sight early in life, but he had used this disability in gaining wisdom.

It was a beautiful Spring day. The garden was coming to bloom and the wind blew softly. As they passed near a large peach tree, the teacher moved his head in order to miss the overhanging limbs. The pupil looked startled and asked, “Teacher, how is it that you saw those limbs?” The Blind Master answered, “To see with the eye is only one sensation, I heard the wind sing softly in the tree’s branches.”

The pupil looked puzzled as the Blind Master continued, “Close your eyes and tell me what you hear. Do you hear your heartbeat? Do you hear the footfall of the monk across the courtyard? Do you hear the grasshopper at your feet?” The young pupil looked down in astonishment…