“It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.” ―Jerome K. Jerome
Idling settles the fluttering of the mind, inviting enlightenment.
Here is a koanic assist for beginners:
Three student idlers and their teacher are observing a flag in a breeze.
Each student is asked to describe his or her observation. “…And please
do not observe like a nincompoop,” the teacher warns, giving each
student a rap on the head with a stout rod as their cue to speak.
Student 1 goes, “Ow! I observe the breeze fluttering the flag.
Only a nincompoop would observe otherwise.”
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”
―Deepak Chopra
Student 2 goes, “Ow! I observe the flag fluttering the breeze.
Only a nincompoop would observe otherwise.”
“Sit in reverie and watch the changing color of the waves that break upon the idle seashore of the mind.”
―Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Student 3 goes, “Ow! I observe my mind fluttering.
Only a nincompoop would observe otherwise.”
“Thought is the labor of the intellect, reverie is its pleasure.”
―Victor Hugo
The teacher says, “I observe the breeze breezing,
the flag flagging, and the idle mind idling.
Only! A nincompoop! Flutters!”
“Ow!” “Ow!” “Ow!”
“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”
―Lao-Tzu
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