One of the "101 Zen stories":
> [My Heart Burns Like
> Fire](https://gist.github.com/dustin/798227#my-heart-burns-like-fire)
>
> Soyen Shaku, the first Zen teacher to come to America, said: “My heart
> burns like fire but my eyes are as cold as dead ashes.” He made the
> following rules which he practiced every day of his life.
>
> In the morning before dressing, light incense and meditate.
>
> Retire at a regular hour. Partake of food at regular intervals. Eat
> with moderation and never to the point of satisfaction.
>
> Receive a guest with the same attitude you have when alone. When
> alone, maintain the same attitude you have in receiving guests.
>
> Watch what you say, and whatever you say, practice it.
>
> When an opportunity comes do not let it pass you by, yet always think
> twice before acting.
>
> Do not regret the past. Look to the future.
>
> Have the fearless attitude of a hero and the loving heart of a child.
>
> Upon retiring, sleep as if you had entered your last sleep. Upon
> awakening, leave your bed behind you instantly as if you had cast away
> a pair of old shoes.
What does "heart burn like fire" mean in this context?
I assume that "eyes are cold" means they're not acquisitive -- i.e. he doesn't desire everything he sees -- I say that based on this poem from Kipling which prefaces his story of _The King's Ankus_
> These are the Four that are nver content, that have never been filled since the Dews began--
> Jackal's mouth, and the glut of the Kite, and the hands of the Ape, and the Eyes of Man.
I can only guess at what "heart burns like fire" means -- I don't know what a good answer might be -- maybe a reference to commentary on the story, or to a similar metaphor in the Zen tradition.
FYI I'm posting this further to the problem described in this OP -- https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/51867/254 -- the problem there seems to be that "eyes being cold" (i.e. seeing people in a certain way) results in feeling "cold-hearted" -- and so this story came to mind but I'm unsure whether I understand this story well enough.
Asked by ChrisW
(48098 rep)
Jan 12, 2025, 08:36 AM
Last activity: Jan 13, 2025, 12:27 AM
Last activity: Jan 13, 2025, 12:27 AM