Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Western Mondo


This is from my Zen page-a-day calendar for today:
"Where have you come from?" Henry Suso asked.
"From nowhere."
"What are you?"
"I am not."
"What do you wish for?"
"Nothing."
"This is a miracle," Suso exclaimed. "What is your name?"
"I am called Nameless Wildness and my insight leads to that untrammeled freedom when a man lives according to all his caprices without distinguishing between God and himself."

I knew nothing of who Henry Suso was, so I Googled him and found out that he was a real person, a German mystic and student of Meister Eckhart. I'm not even sure if he is the author of this (the calendar doesn't say), but I am guessing that he is.

I like this parable, even though it might be seen as a little too romantic in its reliance on instinct as a way to God. Still, there is something to admire in that approach, even if it is regressive and violates the pre/trans fallacy.


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