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Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow... continue...

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EFFORT
Visitor 1:
Like a falling house of cards, effort defeats itself, doesn't it?

CT:
When an effort being made,
Apart from the effort, nowhere else the one who is making the effort can be found.
Apart from him, nowhere else the effort can be found.

Therefore, it might be said:
He is the effort itself, and the effort is himself.
If the effort defeats itself, then it means he defeats himself.

Friends, would you like to come and see:
Someone here is fighting against himself, defeating himself, and winning himself.

What is that man doing?

Visitor 2:
He is knocking over the cards, ending the game.

CT:
Would you think he will resume the game and play it by himself again?

Visitor & CT 10/21/03

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