Right intention and the Corinthians
Yesterday, I attended a colleagues wedding.
Having a wedding at church was very important to her, and I felt honored to be invited.
I don't know if they always quote Paul and the 1 Corinthians 13, I just know I never really understood that one but found it very poetic.
"If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing."
(from: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage...Corinthians+13, now)
The catholic priest offered his interpretation, of course, but I was reminded of right intention.
So one can do many things and know much, but if done without right intention, it is not complete?
Or two people can appear to do the same thing, but in fact, they are doing differently, as their intention is different?
Please do not take offence that I'm diving into something nosey scholarly here - it was a wonderful experience, in fact, to have something in this text make sense for me.
Gassho,
Danny
P.S.: There's a proverb in German, "Wenn zwei das Gleiche tun, ist es noch lange nicht dasselbe.". Maybe "When two people are doing the same thing, it's not the same by far.". Normally, that's understood as "Quod licet jovi, non licet bovi." But see above.
Right intention and the Corinthians
A master asks a monk you have been here for some time now and have not asked for a teaching. The monk says I am already enlightened. The master asks how so? The monk says "No need to seek Buddha since I am already Buddha." The master tells the monk that it is just as he thought. The monk does not understand and is not enlightened. The monk asks why is his understanding wrong? The master says "No need to seek Buddha since I am already Buddha." Same but different phrase. :)
Gassho, Jishin