* The “flower talk” * What sound does a single palm make? * What is the secret of alertness? *
Legend says that one day Gautama Siddhartha the Buddha gave a silent sermon to his disciples. He appeared before his assembled devotees eager to hear him speak, holding a beautiful white flower in his hand and contemplating it for a long time, smiling. The disciples must have been astonished: their clever minds were expecting a speech that they could interpret at their convenience, but they did not get it. Instead, they saw only a teacher pondering a flower. Yet there was a wandering monk among them, Mahakashyapa, who suddenly smiled: He was the one who understood the essence of the flower talk: be here and now, see the unparalleled wonder beyond concepts in everything. And the Buddha said, "I have given you the most precious treasure beyond mind and reason, Venerable Mahakashyapa!"