Before Zen crossed the shores into Japan, the students of the Tendai school would study meditation, as part of their daily practice. Four of them, close friends all, promised one another to observe seven days of silence.
On the first day, no words were spoken, and the students took pleasure in their auspicious beginning. When night came however, the oil lamps grew dim, and the room slowly darkened.
One student, named Hoshin, called out to a servant: "Servant! Attend to the lamps, so that I might better observe our accomplishment!"
The second student was surprised to hear Hoshin speak. "We are supposed to keep quiet," he chided.
"But you also spoke!" declared the third. "You are an idiot!"
"I am the only one who has not talked," concluded the fourth, as he settled into seiza.
Topper, pictured left, has a weapons case for sale. It’s black, made out of leather, comes with a sturdy shoulder strap and metal buckles, and is roomy enough to carry all your favorite bokken and jo.
Topper paid $17.99, plus shipping and handling, and he’s willing to part, however reluctantly, with the case for a mere $20.00.
If you’re interested, please let Topper know in the comments below or at the dojo.
This entry was posted on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
MM Says: