It's raining right now.
And I.
.
.
Thought it'd be a nice time to share a story from my experience at a Zen monastery.
Daibosatsu Zendo Kangoji It's in the Catskill Mountains.
One time at the monastery,
We had just finished a meal.
And we were sitting around a long,
Low table.
And the Roshi,
The main teacher of the monastery,
Sat at the head of the table.
And we had just finished the meal.
Didn't know exactly what was going to happen next.
And all of a sudden,
She said to the group,
Who can say a true word?
These things will happen at a Zen monastery,
All of a sudden you find your inside a Zen story.
Something's happening here.
She said.
Who can say a true word.
And you might consider that for yourself.
How would you answer?
With no further context,
No context is needed.
What would your response be to the question?
Sort of a question.
Who can say a true word.
Can you say a true word and what would it be?
So in that moment.
There was a period of silence and then a few people ventured attempts.
But they ultimately turned out to be really descriptions of truth.
Not so much truth itself.
So those attempts exhausted themselves.
Good faith efforts.
And then ultimately we were left in another period of silence.
A true word.
I didn't make any guesses.
And then eventually.
.
.
The teacher.
Said.
How about the sound of rain?
And it was raining outside.
How about the sound of rain?
And then all of us for a moment,
Or for a few moments,
Just became.
.
.
The sound of rain.
Obviously the sound of rain itself is not a true word,
But her words in that moment brought us into direct present moment experience.
The sound of rain is not the sound of rain.
What is the sound of rain?
You can only really feel it.
I don't know if you can hear it here,
But.
.
.
You might be able to just feel the it.
That she was referring to with those words that are as close to truth as possible.
What is a true word?
What is the truth?
Cannot really describe it.
If you had to.
What would you say?
What is a true word?
And if you want to,
In the comments,
Let me know.
