Certain experiences reveal that the usual boundary between the animate and inanimate world is artificial and that the entire universe is alive. This can create a sense of intimacy that is indescribable and extends to what most people would consider inanimate objects. A psychologist would probably consider such an outlook a bit "touched," but it is simply a "sparkly" aspect of life for some sages.
When ZM Rinzai commanded a layman to apologize to his shoes for treating them so roughly, he was exhibiting the same felt sense of intimacy.
When ZM Seung Sahn patted the dashboard of a little car that was carrying him somewhere and said with deep admiration and appreciation, "It's working so hard to get us to our meeting on time," he was expressing the same sort of thing.
When ZM Rinzai commanded a layman to apologize to his shoes for treating them so roughly, he was exhibiting the same felt sense of intimacy.
When ZM Seung Sahn patted the dashboard of a little car that was carrying him somewhere and said with deep admiration and appreciation, "It's working so hard to get us to our meeting on time," he was expressing the same sort of thing.
