Thu, 22 Oct 2009
Nothing to Ask
Here's an interesting story about an encounter beween teacher and student in Tibet. I'm guessing that the lama mentioned here is Akong Tulku.
A lama in England once told me about his one and only interaction with a famous and somewhat controversial teach in Tibet, Khenpo Gangshar. This lama had heard much about Khenpo Gangshar and yearned to study with him. Khenpo Gangshar came for a two-week visit to the monastery at which the lama was staying. The lama submitted a formal request for a meeting. When no reply, not even an acknowledgement, came back, he resubmitted his request. He hesitated to make a third request, but so deep was his yearning that he did so anyway. Again, no reply.. Khenpo Gangshar was due to leave the next morning.
That night, the lama sat in his room wondering what to do. He desperately wanted to see Khenpo Gangshar, but he was hesitant to violate monastic protocols. He was so agitated that he couldn't sleep. A knock sounded on his door. He opened it, curious to see who would come to see him so late at night. One of Khenpo Gangshar's attendants told him to come. Elated, he followed the attendant and was shown into Khenpo Gangshar's room.
Khenpo Gangshar was busy in a conversation with another monk, so he sat down and waited. Eventually the monk left. Protocol demanded that Khenpo Gangshar initiate any conversation, so the lama waited for leave to speak. Khenpo Gangshar just looked at him but said nothing. The lama couldn't ask any of the quuestions that were burning in his heart.
The two sat in silence for about fifteen minutes. Then Khenpo Gangshar motioned for him to leave. He was devastated. He left and returned to his room, where he sobbed with grief and raged with anger. Eventually, totally exhausted, he fell asleep. When he awoke the next day, he started his morning meditation practice and found that his meditation had changed completely. To this day, he regards Khenpo Gangshar as one of his most important teachers, even though he had only this one meeting and they never exchanged a word
Ultimately there's nothing to ask, because the question itself is a misdirection, a pointing away from what needs to be seen. When we remain suspended in the space before the question, we see what the question conceals.
