Once upon a time long ago and far away the sage Wonderful told a story.
“In a land of the poor if a woman had ten golden coins and discovered she’d lost one, wouldn’t she do everything she could to find it? Light candles, even though they’re expensive. Sweep the entire house. Looking with all her heart and energy until she found it. And then when she found it she would call her family and friends together, and celebrate.”
Elsewhere in the great dream time someone asked the sage Cloud Gate, “What is the meaning of practice in the intimate way?”
Cloud Gate replied, “The golden coin lost in the river is found in the river.”
Two Stories? Maybe.
Now at another time the sage Wonderful while looking at a coin once said give the world the things of the world, and to the mystery what belongs to the mystery. Of course he was under a lot of pressure and people who did not like him were hoping to trap him into saying something that would offend people who had power over life and death.
Not such an uncommon thing, in fact. And, of course there is a pointing there, as well.
We only find that lost coin in the world in the very place where it is. Among the traps. Among the cobwebs and in the dirt. Within the depths, among the currents.
And with that the question. Are the things of the world and of the mastery one or two?
Or?
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