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The question “What is true?” weighs heavily on many minds today. In an era filled with “fake news,” digitally altered images, and the so-called “hallucinations” of AI, discerning genuine truth can feel like navigating a dense fog. Yet this struggle is not new. Consider this encounter with Zen Master Kyong Bong:
A monk visited Zen Master Kyong Bong and asked, “What is Truth?”
“Where are you coming from?” Kyong Bong inquired.
“Pusan”, the monk said.
“Oh, that’s very far away,” Kyong Bong replied. “How many steps did you take to get here?”
It can be a profound realization to consider how much of what we hold as "knowledge" is, in essence, information relayed to us by others. Can we be certain of its veracity? Do we truly know?
Faced with such pervasive uncertainty, what path is there to take? Zen wisdom whispers: return to your before-thinking mind. Observe the unfolding situation with unclouded clarity. Respond with the most helpful action that arises in that moment. It sounds deceptively simple… yet the challenge lies in remembering to embody this awareness with each moment, with each step that we take.
Bob Kutter, Dharma Teacher
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