...I was surprised to find that I understood aspects of several Zen stories that had previously remained obscure. One of those stories concerns a woman named "Sul" (korean name translated into English).
Sul became enlightened at an early age, and had several famous interactions with Zen masters as a young girl. She grew up, got married, had children and grandchildren, and was revered by her community as a female Buddha. In her old age one of her grandchildren died. At the funeral (fun-eral) Sul sobbed uncontrollably. This greatly surprised everyone because she was thought to be deeply enlightened and free of the ordinary world. Overhearing some people who were whispering about her, Sul suddenly stopped crying and shouted at everyone in a loud voice, "Don't you understand? When my granddaughter hears my wailing, she will finally be able to enter Nirvana!" No one understood.
I happened to remember this story after my mother's fun-eral, and for the first time I fully understood what Sul was saying. Ha ha! I felt like the guy in the old joke who had big shoulders and a flat forehead. When someone asked why he looked like that, the fellow was told, "Well, when you ask him a question, he shrugs his shoulders in incomprehension, and when you tell him the answer, he slaps his forehead in amazement." ;D
Sul became enlightened at an early age, and had several famous interactions with Zen masters as a young girl. She grew up, got married, had children and grandchildren, and was revered by her community as a female Buddha. In her old age one of her grandchildren died. At the funeral (fun-eral) Sul sobbed uncontrollably. This greatly surprised everyone because she was thought to be deeply enlightened and free of the ordinary world. Overhearing some people who were whispering about her, Sul suddenly stopped crying and shouted at everyone in a loud voice, "Don't you understand? When my granddaughter hears my wailing, she will finally be able to enter Nirvana!" No one understood.
I happened to remember this story after my mother's fun-eral, and for the first time I fully understood what Sul was saying. Ha ha! I felt like the guy in the old joke who had big shoulders and a flat forehead. When someone asked why he looked like that, the fellow was told, "Well, when you ask him a question, he shrugs his shoulders in incomprehension, and when you tell him the answer, he slaps his forehead in amazement." ;D
