A group of young students saw the sagacious Lo Zu sitting upon a big boulder with a contented look on his face, a face that seemed to radiate much wisdom and clear perception. The students approached Lo Zu and asked him why he never entered the temples.
Lo Zu replied, “I do not enter the temples because they are primitive, manmade fabrications that have nothing to do with the truly sacred. Besides, that vast, timeless sacredness does not have an ego that wants to be worshipped by men or other strange creatures. What is trapped in time and limitation cannot adequately communicate with the timeless and the unlimited. He or she who has a limited ego cannot be communion with that which is beyond boundaries and confinement. True intelligence goes beyond fabrications and limitations. Go to the temples if you wish… but that ineffable sacredness isn’t there (in a limited space).”
A couple of young men were walking near to where the aged Lo Zu was resting. He was sitting on an inclined large log with his meandering cane resting along his side. Then they observed Lo Zu walking — with his curved, wooden cane — to a nearby evergreen tree, where he presently stopped and began stooping next to the tree, looking at something down low toward the ground; he had a big smile upon his bearded face as he looked at something upon a blade of green.
The young men asked Lo Zu what he was gazing at. “Life on its journey,” reported Lo Zu.
Just then, a group of monks came walking by, all with shaved heads that were bowed down, with eyes only staring at the empty path that they were treading upon, while their “leader” marched ahead, “leading them.” The two youth said to Lo Zu, “Many say that you are the wisest man in all of the lands, yet we see that you do not march with the others and go to the temples.”
Lo Zu replied, “They march with their heads held down — not looking around whatsoever — and follow a path which they’ve been walking upon for centuries, and that path, honestly, is empty and dead. Life is not flowering in such a path. They do not look around to freely and joyfully perceive the beauty of the skies and the miracles of nature; they follow a leader who may be as blinded as they are. They spend time in the temple. It is full of man-made statues. They revere these lifeless statues, all of which were made by thought. They revere a dead product of their own creation. I, however, do not enter the temples. I remain away from the cold, lifeless buildings and spend time with nature, with creation… life. I am neither fascinated by dead, empty paths, man-made fabrications, nor with leaders who lead others to closing their lives away from life and the beauty of existence. Their fancy garbs and decorative buildings do not make them truly religious. Being religious is a living thing. If you are going to worship something, worship that poor, elderly woman toiling in the fields. Help her to carry her heavy load to her home (without asking anything in return).”
Life on its Journey … Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2021
The elderly Lo Zu walked through a long, beautiful meadow and came near to the local village. He saw a group of youth sitting near a fenced garden and ambled near to them while holding on to his sinuous, meandering cane. As he walked, he smiled at the majestic, wonderous blue sky and at the beautiful trees dancing in the light breeze that he was not (in any way) apart from. Many of the young people looked rather bored, and excitement and wonderment were missing from their eyes. Lo Zu said to them, “When i was your age, i too sometimes would get bored; I too found myself lacking in exciting things to do. Now, in my elderly age, there is no boredom; there is only harmony and bliss.”
“What is your secret?, one of the youth asked.
Lo Zu then said, “One went beyond what all of the others said about life, self, and consciousness. The root of suffering was discovered and perceived.”
Some of the youth inquired, “What is the root of suffering?”
Lo Zu replied, “The ‘I,’ the ‘me,’ with all of its pretense and chicanery. The ‘I’ or the ‘me’ helps create a space between what is considered a “center” and the rest of the world (even including between a thought of a supposed center-controller and thinking). However, for example, thoughts and thinking are what consciousness is (as they occur), including the concept of ‘I’ or ‘myself.’ There is, though, a beautiful intelligence beyond and much greater than mere thoughts and thinking. Such intelligence is of a wholeness and transcends the petty concepts of ‘I’ and ‘me.’ Such intelligence transcends psychological suffering/boredom, mere words as labels, and gross limitation; what is whole and immense is not dominated by what is false and limited. Mental suffering is false and limited. Only when one clings to the limited is the intelligence of the whole not apparent. Look at everything beyond fragments, symbols, and images… and perhaps that intelligence will manifest. Clinging to what the ordinary, every-day people tell you… may be like clinging to garbage. Even clinging to ‘collected experiences’ (robotically) is childish and unnecessary. Cling in that way if you wish, but as for this elderly being, there is too much bliss here to crave what is fundamentally of the dead past. See the living beauty of life and nature in each instant (without merely always labeling and remembering). Question things, be appreciative of life, perceive with wholeness, and go beyond the ordinary. “
The group of youth thanked Lo Zu and asked him to stop by to visit them again.
As he walked away, he heard one of them say, “He is not like the other elders; he is different; he seems magical. When he looks at you, it is as if he can see right into you.”
Plum Tree Blossoms Smiling … Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2021
The very wise ToadMaster perched near the toadstool, and with his croaky voice, he summoned all of the little tadpoles to swim up to the riverbank to hear another lesson.
He, in his sagely way, bellowed, “Unfortunately, many of the upright, large apes — that we have mentioned in the past — foolishly refuse to judiciously see that they too evolved from swimming fish, even as you here, as swimming tadpoles (through a long passage of time), will soon be leaving your aquatic existence to join our terrestrial lot. What is even more unfortunate is that the upright apes continue to mindlessly throw toxic debris into our water habitats and also onto the beautiful terrestrial domain that you will all soon be graduating to. The upright, large apes continue to make things that destroy things. The upright apes can be downright destructive and dangerous, though some of them are very kind and considerate. Overall, the whole world’s life forms are all rapidly disappearing due to what these, large bipedal creatures are mindlessly doing. Even as they claim that one of their kind is a God, they endlessly continue to pour cement and plastic over living things and spew out much toxic debris, killing our planet. They often do what is called “mowing their lawn,” which they think is very beautiful (though such activity callously cuts and kills many precious creatures, including us amphibians.) When you hop on land — which you all will be doing soon — do so with extreme caution, and avoid these large, bipedal creatures at all costs… and please
do your best to survive in the excessive heat (due to the climate rapidly changing).”
An inquisitive, young woman approached Lo Zu and asked him, “Why do you leave our village every day and go wandering off into the mountains?”
Lo Zu, the great sage, answered, “I have talked to all of you many times about ‘no mind’ and that, in essence, I do not really exist as anything concrete internally. Yet, you all continue to see me as just another man.”
The inquisitive, young woman then pensively exclaimed, “I do not understand!”
Lo Zu then stated, “When this body is in the village, you say ‘Lo Zu is here.’ When this body is in the mountains, you say, ‘Lo Zu is not here.’ At least when one is in the mountains, you (in the village) speak the truth.”
Puff Ball Fairy, when you floated past, ever so gracefully, ever so enchantingly, i was, at once, captivated by your spell. As you gently floated away, i, with camera in hand, wished you would return so that i could capture some of your mysterious beauty. Alas! You granted my wish and again floated nearby, alighting on a simple leaf. Thank you, Puff Ball Fairy, and may we meet again someverymagicaltime in sweet eternity.
One young student of life asked Lo Zu, “Of all the various types of clouds in the sky,
which is the one that you deem best?”
The great sage’s penetrating eyes sagaciously looked up and he said,
“Not the huge, mountainous, white towering clouds that have accumulated much. Neither the
saturated, heavy clouds, for each is darkly full of itself; nor the clouds that stretch, sheet-like,
blanketing the whole sky; they think that they know everything.
However, there is real beauty in the little, truly humble, faint cloud of no-mind that one can barely see,
that no one notices; it lets the sun through and helps illuminate the darkness. Fireflies can illuminate
darkness too; very few people love them like I love them.”
Firefly Illumination Happening!… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
As a young student was walking by, Lo Zu asked, “How many legs do you have?” The young student replied, “Two!” Then Lo Zu remarked, “That is a shame.”
Many weeks later, the same young student observed Lo Zu and asked, “Why is it that you often bend down and focus upon the insects and spiders?” After some silence, the great sage answered, “What you think you are, you are not… and what appears to be what you are not, you are. For instance, when an ant is looked at, a deep perception consists of six legs. When a spider is examined, a great perception consists of eight legs. When butterflies are seen, a deep perception embodies wings, and when bees are observed, there is diligence and responsibility.
There is no “I” or “me” regarding this, since both are merely empty, delusive, learned abstractions.
Therefore, this does not involve mere identification; it is much deeper than that!
Most people merely see things with lazy eyes of delusion and separation.” “I don’t quite understand,” said the student. With a tender smile, Lo Zu warmly replied, “That is OK; maybe someday you will understand and no longer be just another one of the two-leggers.”
Eastern Tailed Blue Butterfly … Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
As it fell from my hands into the river, my second-rate, semi-waterproof camera was drowning. I tried to give it mouth-to- mouth resuscitation but then received a massive jolt of electricity into my flared chops. As I remained passed-out on the riverbank, sweet images of beautiful flowers crawled in my head and I smiled, realizing that a camera was no longer needed.
Wildflowers and Soldier Beetle… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
A young student asked Lo Zu, “When a firefly is full of light, does that mean that it is undergoing satori or full enlightenment?”
“No,” the sage answered, “Fireflies groom themselves often, making themselves orderly and spotless, but that is not enough for them — insects who live with separateness and competition — to receive immeasurable enlightenment.”
“What will happen if I receive such enlightenment?” the lad asked.
Lo Zu then answered, “If the limitless, unadulterated energy of the cosmos visits you and flows through you, you will look slightly physically different but you will not physically glow and, additionally, the fingers of the hands may contract (making it difficult to move), but usually that visitation occurs when one is alone and not among others.”
“I see,” said the student.
“After the visitation,” said Lo Zu, “you will look just like everyone else and, of course, the hands will easily move again; however, your mind will be much different. You will be glowing on the inside and will have seen.”
“Seen what?” the young lad enquired.
“Seen what is unseeable; met what is indescribable,” said Lo Zu.
“Is it the sacred?” the young boy asked.
With a tear in his eye and a concomitant smile on his face, Lo Zu answered, “Perhaps!”
Then Lo Zu graciously remarked, “Listen, Firefly, surpass fireflyness.”
Firefly Grooming Itself… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
1st Officer: You were speeding. And you were thinking about passing in a “no-passing zone.”
Speedy Gonzales: I was?
1st Officer: Yes, you were! Let me see your driver’s license.
Speedy: What’s a driver’s license?
1st Officer: Oh boy, you hit the jackpot!
Speedy (smiling): No, I did not run into any jackpot! Here is my driver’s license.
1st Officer (yanking Speedy roughly): Put your hands behind your back, wise guy; I have to handcuff you. You got a green-card?
2nd Officer (nervously): Be careful, don’t get too rough with him. Maybe we are being filmed. I, from this highway, already see huge aerial cameras hovering above us.
1st Officer (in a cruel tone): It’s off to incarceration in the old Delux Ant-farm for you, Speedy! You will get nothing but bread and water!
Speedy got sentenced to three years but he got out in two for good behavior; unfortunately, against international human rights, all of his children were separated from him by an immoral, fascist-loving regime. Though extremely poor, he is content with living on meager crumbs somewhere upon your shiny kitchen floor. Walk gingerly! There is an alternative name for Highway 47. The alternative name is Tom’s Garden Hose.
Incident on Highway 47… Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
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