Young Ikkyu, happened to break his teacher’s antique teacup. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: ‘Master, why do people have to die?’
‘This is
natural,’ explained the older man. ‘Everything has to die and has just so long
to live.’ Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, said: ‘It was time for your cup
to die.’
Like all Zen stories, there are lessons from the broken cup. We
know the things we make will not last forever. Some things we make will join
the heap. Some may last longer and inspire others too. We create things to be
useful as well to last. But there will be a break point.
We must see the end as well as the beginning. The acquisition
of an asset is the responsibility of its disposal. We must accept that our time
is short. We will grow tired. Our utility will diminish. Our cup will break.
It is important to understand and accept that the cup will
break. We can take outmost care and we could do everything in our capacity to
ensure that it lasts. We have to move on without lamenting much for the broken
cup. Instead bring to mind the joys it served!
Don’t cry for
the broken cup & how it fell
Remember instead
how it served so well!
- Pravin K. Sabnis
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