(Mouths flapping during my kids’ Buddhist Class last Sunday; limevelyn)
Four monks were meditating in a monastery. All of a sudden, the prayer flag on the roof started flapping.
The youngest monk came out of his meditation and said: “Flag is flapping.”
A more experienced monk said: “Wind is flapping.”
A third monk who had been there for more than 20 years said: “Mind is flapping.”
The fourth monk who was the eldest said, visibly annoyed: “Mouths are flapping!”
Your Interpretation Please
Apparently, the above is a classic Buddhist story. I found myself laughing when I first read it some days ago.
And then I stopped.
I started to wonder if there is a lesson or lessons around it. What do you think?
Link Love
On the topic of monks, a site known as UrbanMonk has been creating waves on the web for its deeply insightful articles into human behavior, emotions and blocks. Albert, the site owner, is not a real monk by the way but writes with much wisdom. I highly recommend checking out his blog if you haven’t already done so!!!
Popularity: 1%
{ 45 comments }
Hi Evelyn. LOL. There’s a whole lot of flapping goin on. Seems they’ve moved down from the heights of the flagpole to the flapping mouths on the ground. From the big picture to where it all started.
Hey Evelyn, thanks so much for the link
I do think that story shows more insight than meets the first glance. I could be wrong, but it might show the stages we go through in a Buddhist influence spiritual path. We start out looking at the effect, then the cause, and then we start thinking it’s all in the mind.
The final monk might represent the enlightened ones, who by most accounts, are the most normal people of us all. (I.e. screw the spiritual interpretations!
)
That’s my opinion, at least. Heh. What do you think?
Oh, this was fun! And I think you’ll find many different interpretations.
What about this one: The first monk is inexperienced at seeing “beyond” so states the obvious. The next two monks go a bit deeper, for the source. The last monk brings it all back to the obvious and practical, showing sometimes what is, is, and it’s not exactly as everyone else sees it.
Great story. Thanks for starting my day off with a laugh.
I just have to agree that people talk too much.
Enlightenment is nothing special
I’m going to take a stab at it.
Bottom line is ‘it is what it is’ Anything else is what you attach to it. What you attach to it is a great indication of what is going on in your subconscious mind.
Love it Evelyn,
Think I like mind is flapping- the most challenging part of meditation, stopping the mind
I don’t know, but my keyboard is flapping!
I’ve got to admit finding the responses interesting so far. Some, like Hunter’s, are really funny!! I’d probably share my thoughts in a while, so that more readers can participate.
@Davina, interesting perspective about from the top to the bottom. I didn’t think of that until you pointed it out.
@Albert, my question is that is eldest usually the most enlightened one? The word “eldest” may be by age but not necessarily the wisest. Still, I note that you use the word “may” – perhaps you are denoting that you are not sure if it is true but that most people would expect the eldest monk to be so.
Many of these parables are a pickle. If you think too much, you’ve missed the point already. If you don’t think, then you feel like you’re not getting it either!
Anthony de Mello offers excellent advice on this paradox: Just read it, then simply ‘carry it around it you’ without overt thought or effort. If it comes up, it comes up. If you forget, you forget.
Anyway you never truly forget anything. Even if there doesn’t seem to be any ‘results’ fast or soon, some day, in response to some event in your life, it may just turn out to be the tipping point, the last drop of water, to change everything for you.
@ Vered, “People talk too much.” LOL.
Well I think it’s illustrating how everything is connected. Cheers – R
I think it means: who cares that the flag is flapping, stop talking and get back to your meditation
Thank you, Evelyn…my first reaction was that each monk, with their greater time in study of the way, thought themselves more insightful (seeing a more relevant/deeper? meaning in the observation). However, despite the degrees of advancement, each monk fell prey to increasing pretense and distraction.
In fact the novice, with simple observation of sight (no meaning), was closer to the source–experiencing the least of distraction. Spontaneous and simple.
Albert is indeed an special monk, well worth the visit.
blessings to you and all you hold dear,
CG
Hi Evelyn. I like B’s interpretation: ‘it is what it is’ Anything else is what you attach to it. What you attach to it is a great indication of what is going on in your subconscious mind.
Although, I like Marelisa’s comment too! That’s a second runner up! Or maybe it’s first.
Hi Evelyn,
Love the story! I’m much more excited about the application than the interpretation – next time I find someone talking too much, I know what I’m going to be thinking… “mouth is flapping!” Love it love it!
Lately I’ve been thinking about incomplete thinking.
I think of perspective as slices of a pie. Each contribution is a slice. Some people argue their slice is better than another. It’s simply because they don’t see they are parts of a larger whole.
Actually if the youngest monk did not started it then none of the rest will follow up with their own interpretations.
It’s the same in the real world I suppose.
Evelyn: I find the joke story refreshing.The 4 monks responded differently when seeing the flag flapping bcos each one see it from different angle of mindset.So no matter in what situation /incident,the reaction wod differ individually.Therefore it is beneficial for us to mind relax,open,upgrading,+ve and…………….
For me, it’s ‘mind is flapping’ which also means ‘inner voice’ is flapping’(but is it positive or negative inner voice?).
Andrew
I’m with Mare on this one – it’s become an excuse to break from the task at hand – meditation in this case. The fourth monk really brings it back into focus – and that’s the take away for me – it’s a flag flapping in the wind – nothing more, nothing less – and it doesn’t have to affect what is already going on…
I went camping last week. I had a problem with the zipper and all night long the flap was flapping.
Spooky.
All are excellent comments. My favorite:
” ‘it is what it is’ Anything else is what you attach to it. What you attach to it is a great indication of what is going on in your subconscious mind.”
(Also going on in your active racing mind.)
I think it’s a combination of what Albert said and what Lance said.
- The novice monk stops meditating to notice the flag flapping.
- The next monk stops meditating to correct the first monk, saying the wind is the cause.
- The third monk stops meditating to correct the second monk, saying the mind is the cause.
- The fourth monk points out that they’ve all stopped meditating to flap their mouths.
Evelyn, Hello…
Love this! Made me laugh and think simultaneously!
A simple confirmation/reminder that focus and clarity go hand in hand:0)
If I may share one of my favorite quote:
“The morning breeze has secrets to tell you…do not go back to sleep.” ~Rumi~
Thank you so much for visiting my site and welcome with open heart!:0)
What I want to know is, “If there is no wind, who will learn?”
I never even intend to figure out these kind of so called profound riddles. Why can’t the damn monks just say what they mean?
I just pressed your “Speak!” button to comment…and think you must change it to “Flap!”
My mom is a Buddhist. I showed her your post. She would only smile. No flapping.
Thanks for the reminder. It made me realize I’ve been focusing way too much. I need to talk more.
“Tonight’s forecast calls for periods of zen, with a slight chance of enlightenment in the afternoon.”
“Winds will blow confusion from the southeast, easing by midday and flapping away existential cloud cover for a warm karmic afternoon”
“And now it’s over to Sun Tzu with his take on the weekend sports report “The Art of Sport”
Patrick
Folks, you guys have been making me laugh so hard!!! Tim definitely cracked me up with his!!! So did Patrick’s comment which just came in!!
This story is submitted as a joke on various sites with no explanations. I’d be checking if there is an “official” version for interpretation.
Have a great weekend!!
Namaste
Evelyn
This is a cute little riddle illustrating the 4 stages/levels of consciousness. (ie. Eckhart Tolle)
Thanks for sharing =)
Tonya
http://www.therightdirection77.blogspot.com
This is a fascinating post. Diverse human pesonalities would be expected to offer diverse perspectives. And yet, silence may be the wisest response of all.
The lesson is that the oldest monk recognizes the asinine observations of the younger monks that’s why he said mouth’s are flapping.
Monks always know how to make everything sound cool. : )
Thanks to all who have participated on this post!! There are of course no “right” or “wrong” answers. In short, it is one story but different perspectives.
Here are my thoughts:
1. As mentioned, “eldest” monk need not necessarily mean most enlightened. In fact, he was “visibly annoyed”. His emotions got to him.
2. All the monks spoke, distracted by various reasons and breaking the silence of their meditation. They became “not present” in what they were doing.
3. The first two monks were distracted by their physical sensation and/or sight.
4. The third monk correctly observed that the mind is distracted but could not keep silent either.
A respected friend, Brother Yap from the Buddhist Fellowship of Singapore, shared his thoughts:
“There is in this story a wonderful message on letting go. Our minds have been conditioned to give meaning and form to what we see,hear,touch,taste and smell. We have names, labels and views for things that come through our six sense doors. (read: the 5 aggregates ). Once we think its the wind, or the flag, or the mind or the mouth, we get fixated on our view and hold it to be true.
Some people will even go to great length to prove that they are right and end up fighting each other. To discover the true nature of things we should go beyond labels, names and even thinking.
Let go of them and see things as they naturally are with a mind unencumbered by language or conditioned thinking. As a meditator, you understand this well; for when you let go ,your mind becomes so soft and tender, expansive yet empty. You begin to see things a lot more vividly and clear. An understanding that’s not limited by the names,labels or views that we give to these things.
This is my humble opinion. With metta.”
Namaste
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn
I think the story can be intepreted in a number of ways, but, for me, it is about people wanting to show that they are one better than others – know more or have more etc.
Thanks for getting the minds working and the fingers flying here
Juliet
There are times when you should just ‘bite your lip’ and stay silent.
Geoff.
Hi Evelyn
The way I see this story is the 3 monks forgot the task at hands which is to meditate, and when one of them got distracted. The other 2 monks got into researching the source of the distraction. But the oldest monk pointed out now all 3 of them have became distraction themselve.
That is what I see…
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
I think the moral of the story is to be aware and mindful of your surroundings and your thoughts.
Hi Evelyn!
I think there is a great lesson here indeed.
Sometimes I think even in the spiritual community we discuss and over analyze things, perhaps too much or unnecessarily.
That is why I love parts of A New Earth where Tolle writes about the ideas of “just being”.
Let the flag just be. There is no need to label it in any way. And that goes for a lot in our lives too.
I always think it just means that you have to realize there are some thing you don’t have to look into that hard.
Hehe, people talk too much, or the listen to well when they’re quietly praying.
Hi!
I did not have time to read everyones comments…tonight but here goes…
I always learn so much from everyone…boo hoo….
LAUGH is enough…..
PERCEPTIONS
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