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The World Through Zen Eyes Podcast
What we do?
Once a week we take a look at the going-ons of the world and say something about ‘em.
The goal?
None, really. Just trying to make heads and tails of the great world roar of Ooommmmmm.
Why?
To try ‘n keep a modicum of personal sanity. And stay off both the meds and the cool aid.
The point?
Points are sharp and therefore violent. We just go around, and round….and round.
Disclaimer:
The views, perspectives, and humor of the speakers and guests of this podcast do not necessarily represent the those of any associated organizations, businesses, or groups, social, religious,cultural or otherwise. The entirety of the podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Topics discussed and views expressed do not constitute medical advice. As the saying goes “Opinions are like bellybuttons, everybody’s got one”.
The World Through Zen Eyes Podcast
Bonus Track #4: From the Mouth of a Thousand Buddhas: "You're Not For You"
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Have you ever stumbled upon wisdom in the most unexpected place? That moment when profound truth arrives from a source you'd never anticipate?
A simple gift exchange led to one of the most meaningful spiritual insights I've received. After attempting to thank a friend in my limited Spanish, I turned to a translation app to decipher her response. What appeared on my screen wasn't what she intended to say, but something far more profound: "You're not for you." Those four simple words stopped me in my tracks.
This accidental wisdom perfectly articulated a fundamental spiritual principle—that our purpose extends beyond ourselves, that we exist not merely for our own benefit but for others. It challenged the individualistic mindset so prevalent in modern society and reconnected me to the interdependent nature of our existence. The phrase has become a treasured mantra I keep close to my heart.
This experience reveals something essential about wisdom itself. We often decide in advance whose words merit our attention, dismissing children for being too young or friends for being predictable in their views. But profound truth doesn't respect these boundaries. Among a thousand ordinary words from any source—sage or criminal, child or elder—one might carry extraordinary meaning. The Buddha can speak through anyone, if only we're truly listening.
I invite you to practice deeper listening in your own life. Pay attention to the people around you, to nature, to unexpected moments like mistranslations. You never know when someone might speak "with the mouth of a thousand Buddhas." What wisdom might you discover if you set aside your assumptions about where truth can be found? Share your own unexpected moments of insight and join our community of seekers who understand that sometimes, the most profound teachings arrive when we least expect them.
Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com
Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org
Welcome to the place where you longed in. Come home with Welcome to another bonus track. Recently, one of our members had gone on a trip overseas, begun on a trip overseas and brought for me a splendid gift. I missed her in person. When she dropped it off, I found it waiting for me. How splendid a surprise. And so I texted her in my illustrious understanding and proficiency in the Spanish language. I said I was partially joking at my. Well, not partially, I was joking.
Speaker 1:My grasp of the Spanish language is that of anybody who's rubbed shoulder with anybody who speaks the language. Just the usual few pleasantries, perhaps a little song Pelón pelonete, cabeza de puete A pon de la cachette, I think. I think that's how it went. The song, that is of the workers of a restaurant at which I worked for a bit, back of the kitchen. You know how that goes. And so in her response in Spanish, I was lost. I had just about ran out of my words in that little sentence that I've eked out of myself Gracias para tu kindness. I do must say that I capitalize the tu. Look at me, I think that is grammatically correct. Look at me, I think that is grammatically correct.
Speaker 1:And so she responds with a phrase in Spanish which I look at dumbfounded and I turn to the magic of the phone and copy that into the translator and what I get is what turns out not the actual translation of what she was trying to say, which was something to the tone of no need for a thank you kind of thing, but what the translator says is You're not for you. You're not for you. And it stumped me, the impact of that short little sentence. I said to her you have just spoken with the mouth of a thousand Buddhas. You're not for you. I tried to be. I said Not for me, that is, I try to be for others. What powerful short little sentence. You're not for you. I've kept it since Close to my heart. It's a little treasure of mine. It echoes in my mind from time to time You're not for you, beautiful.
Speaker 1:And I bring this up to say listen. We must listen to the people and things and birds and rocks, and the sky and the sun, and the wind and the rain and the ocean, and the breathing and the gurgling of our intestines, whatever. We must listen. We must listen because we never know. We never know when they speak with the mouth of a thousand Buddhas, it doesn't matter who is doing the speaking, it doesn't matter what we think of them, how we think of them, how we see them, who they are.
Speaker 1:There is within the Buddha, and a person might say a thousand words and 999 of them are their own, 999 of their words rising, rising from the experience of their lives, their point of views, their thoughts, their ideas, the things they believe or don't believe, their personal collection. Leave their personal collection. And one word among those thousand may be spoken with the. It doesn't matter who, it doesn't matter how wise, how intelligent, it doesn't matter the age. Children, in fact, say some profound things. How frequently do we wave it off Ah, that's just a kid talking. How frequently do those close in our lives say a thing and we say, ah, it's them going on again about X, y and Z, proximity, dismisses. Listen to the Buddhas in your life, whether sage or criminal, with an mouth of a thousand Buddhas. Thanks for watching.
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