A monk asked his teacher, "I am pecking from inside the shell. I beg you, Master, please peck from outside." May 5, 1985

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explains that when most of us listen to a teacher talk, what we hear is determined by our conditioning. When one talks to God in his thoughts, he is not talking to God. To truly practice, one must be wholly sincere and not deceive oneself.A monk came to a Zen Master and asked, ”What if you meet up with someone who is deaf, dumb, and blind?” Also, if the aim of a Zen master is to save innumerable beings, how does one explain the behavior of a hermit master?A monk asked Kyosei, "I am pecking from inside the shell. I beg you, Master, please peck from outside." But the master asked: “Are you then in a state of readiness?”Zen Master Seppo contended that he was not a teacher. Yet 87 of his monks attained. Also, if we are aiming to experience the void, the emptiness, why would anyone want that? May 5, 1985