Truism 13 The Gap Poem by Stewart McKenzie

A young Buddhist monk asked an enlightened Zen Master to describe the path to enlightenment.

“Well”
Said the Zen Master
“Before I studied Zen I looked at the mountain
And I looked at myself
And I saw two”

“After studying Zen
I looked at the mountain
And I looked at myself
And I saw one”

“Now that I am enlightened
I look at the mountain
And I look at myself
And again I see two”

“Then what was the point of all the study”
Asked the young monk
“Getting up at two in the morning
To be beaten in the Za-Zen room
Only to end up where you began”?

“Now”
Said the Zen Master
“When I look at the mountain
And I look at myself
Very carefully
I see a tiny gap around them”