In Zen Buddhism there is a way of teaching known as a koan.....pronounced "koe - on". A koan is a story, statement, a question - a paradox- that cannot be understood from a rational dissection but may be able to be understood through intuition and spiritual knowledge......(that explanation in itself may be a koan to some of us.) An example of a famous koan is: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" It is somewhat of a spiritual word puzzle. And....there's no one "right" answer, for the answer is different for each of us, according to our understanding of ourselves and our world.
There is a story I read years ago that has become a kind of koan for me. I think about it often and love to chew on it. I share it here as a spiritual puzzle for you to contemplate. If you wish to share your insights in the comments section that would be delightful, but above all, enjoy your ponderings as you swim in the holy water of wonder and life.
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry travler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
"I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back to you in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."
Maybe he really gave the stone back to buy some more food. You can't eat jewels.
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