Buddhism and the Flag Part 2
In a temple once lived a learned master, he had many interesting and extraordinary disciples. One day, when a group of monks came to visit, the master invited the foreign monks to dinner. The conversation was animated, the wandering monks told of the events on their journey.
The next day, the wise monk taught the travellers, explaining his view of things, followed by an erudite conversation. Of course, the topic was mainly the teaching of the teacher all teachers, where different views and opinions opposed each other again and again.
At the end of the conversation, the topic of the parable of the wind and the flags, attributed to the famous master Hui Neng, came up. Do the flags now move in the wind, or do they move because they have the possibility to do so, the movement would be their true characteristic?
Of course, each of those present had his own opinion on the subject, none was prepared to accept the other's view. There was only one thing they all agreed on, Master Hui Neng, as one of Buddha's followers, was beyond all doubt.
It is precisely on this subject that disputes arise again and again in Buddhist monasteries, because it is not clear how the great master from the past "really" meant this parable. The very question of whether the movement of the flags can only be noticed in the mind, whether perhaps without the observer there would be no movement at all, this dispute has been going on for many centuries. In any case, it is justified to think about this, because without the observer there would be no sound.
In any case, if there was no wind, there would be no movement of the flags, so that the spirit could not move either, one of the monks said. Everyone had to think about this for a while, the mood recovered, and the dispute seemed to be resolved at first.
Until one of those present had the idea to quote the monk's exact words correctly: "it is not the wind, it is not the flags, it is the spirit that moves things".
And again the argument broke out anew, the one saying that all things come from the spirit, the other saying that where there is no spirit to argue, there can be no argument.
This discussion is somewhat reminiscent of the argument about which came first, the hen or the egg!
In any case, the path is the goal!
As a flame goes out with the wind, is blown away and concepts no longer fit, so is the way freed from "spirit and body": He can no longer be grasped conceptually
- Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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