Sunday, July 1, 2012

Not Zen 12: Everything Sacred, Nothing Sacred

A group of athletes played basketball together every day at the same time.  They invited a new player, a student of religion, and he quickly learned the game. His interest in religion became a matter of discussion after the games, off the court.

"It all sounds crazy to me," said a big man after he wiped his face with a towel.  "What is sacred to you?"

The student of looked around.  After a moment, he noticed what he was holding in his hands.

"This basketball is sacred," he answered.

"How?"  The big man laughed and reached for his drink.

"It is connected to everything."  He spun the basketball in his hands.  "It is part of the flow of the universe.  We can't exist without it.  All parts of the universe are necessary.  Everything is as it should be."

"Then is everything sacred?" the big man asked sourly.  "Is the basketball as sacred as the chalice at my church?  As my minister?  As my wife or my kids?  As your teachers?"

"Nothing is sacred," answered the student.

No comments:

Post a Comment