There was once a group of learned Buddhist monks who
spent all their time in scholastic debate. As part of their banter they would
often wonder, half-joking, half-seriously, which one of them would attain
enlightenment first.
Whenever this topic came up, the only thing they could all agree on was that it would not be Stupid, the illiterate monk who was capable only of sweeping the monastery floor and whom nobody has any time for.
Of course, it was Stupid who got enlightened first. The jealous monks went to the Abbot. How come Stupid had attained enlightenment first? Had he been overhearing their intellectual conversations?
Whenever this topic came up, the only thing they could all agree on was that it would not be Stupid, the illiterate monk who was capable only of sweeping the monastery floor and whom nobody has any time for.
Of course, it was Stupid who got enlightened first. The jealous monks went to the Abbot. How come Stupid had attained enlightenment first? Had he been overhearing their intellectual conversations?
“Not at all,”
replied the Abbot.
“It’s just that while he was sweeping
the corners of
the monastery he made
sure he was also sweeping the corners
of his
mind.”
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