Brain Teasers
The Student and the Zen Master
Situation
Situation puzzles (sometimes called lateral thinking puzzles) are ones where you need to ask lots of yes or no questions to figure out what happened in the situation. These are good puzzles for groups where one person knows the puzzle and answers the questions.Situation
A new student met the Zen Master after traveling hundreds of miles by yak cart. He was understandably pleased with himself for being selected to learn at the great master's feet .
The first time they formally met, the Zen Master asked, "May I ask you a simple question?"
"It would be an honor!" replied the student.
"Which is greater, that which has no beginning or that which has no end?" queried the Zen Master. "Come back when you have the answer and can explain why."
After the student made many frustrated trips back with answers which the master quickly cast off with a disapproving negative nod, the Zen Master finally said, "Perhaps I should ask you another question?"
"Oh, please do!" pleaded the exasperated student.
The Zen Master then asked, "Since you do not know that, answer this much simpler riddle. When can a pebble hold back the sea?"
Again the student was rebuffed time and again. Several more questions followed with the same result. Each time, the student could not find the correct answer. Finally, completely exasperated, the student began to weep, "Master, I am a complete idiot. I can not solve even the simplest riddle from you!"
Suddenly, the student stopped, sat down, and said, "I am ready for my second lesson."
What was the Zen Master's first lesson?
The first time they formally met, the Zen Master asked, "May I ask you a simple question?"
"It would be an honor!" replied the student.
"Which is greater, that which has no beginning or that which has no end?" queried the Zen Master. "Come back when you have the answer and can explain why."
After the student made many frustrated trips back with answers which the master quickly cast off with a disapproving negative nod, the Zen Master finally said, "Perhaps I should ask you another question?"
"Oh, please do!" pleaded the exasperated student.
The Zen Master then asked, "Since you do not know that, answer this much simpler riddle. When can a pebble hold back the sea?"
Again the student was rebuffed time and again. Several more questions followed with the same result. Each time, the student could not find the correct answer. Finally, completely exasperated, the student began to weep, "Master, I am a complete idiot. I can not solve even the simplest riddle from you!"
Suddenly, the student stopped, sat down, and said, "I am ready for my second lesson."
What was the Zen Master's first lesson?
Hint
The answer is not in the solution to the riddles. Who is teaching who?Answer
The student's first lesson was that in order to learn from the Zen Master, the student should be asking the questions and not the Zen Master.If you are wondering which is really greater, or how does a pebble hold back the sea, I don't know either. Sorry. Go ask a Zen Master!
(If you come up with a really good answer, submit a puzzle! I'd love to see it--Zonahobo)
Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
I loved this teaser (even if I was waaaay off from the answer)! Going to my Faves List
A lovely moral story (and riddle).
i really rather liked this one
That was very cool.
I loved it! keep the Zen master teasers coming!
Good Teaser, enjoyed it, fun as well
ZonaZenMasterHobo - I shall always be your student. These are absolutely zany zoned insights
Very good ZonaZen!! A lesson and a great teaser all in one!! I enjoyed this very much!
Really good teaser zona!
It is not how one comes in, but how one goes out. And when it is one with many, grasshopper.
Really liked this one. Very nice!
I liked this teaser. Makes one think more deeply, and in a different way....
Good teaser! I thought he was trying to teach him humility, but that seems a bit obvious. Nice twist!
If I may be allowed to try and interpret the Zen Master's question about the pebble stopping the sea...
An insignificant problem in our life can be like a pebble. Perhaps we can interpret the sea as something that is akin to our whole life, such as all our experiences washing over us. If we hold the pebble too close to our eye, it will fill our whole world and put everything out of perspective; consequently stopping the sea (or our rich experience of lifes pleasures)!
If we move the pebble away from us at a proper distance, it can be examined and properly classified, whilst at the same time we can still see the ocean. If we throw the pebble down at our feet in front of the waves, we can see it in its true perspective: just another tiny bump on our pathway of life.
Just feeling a touch philosophical...
An insignificant problem in our life can be like a pebble. Perhaps we can interpret the sea as something that is akin to our whole life, such as all our experiences washing over us. If we hold the pebble too close to our eye, it will fill our whole world and put everything out of perspective; consequently stopping the sea (or our rich experience of lifes pleasures)!
If we move the pebble away from us at a proper distance, it can be examined and properly classified, whilst at the same time we can still see the ocean. If we throw the pebble down at our feet in front of the waves, we can see it in its true perspective: just another tiny bump on our pathway of life.
Just feeling a touch philosophical...
ha ha ha go ask a zen master
That was fantastic! Please keep up with these zen master teasers! And I really enjoyed jazzmusician's interpretation of the pebble problem! This entire Braingle community is just so AWESOME!!!!
ditto perrygf
WOW
Shouldve thought of that =( =)
Shouldve thought of that =( =)
I didn't get the riddle, but the questions within the riddle are fairly simple.
That which has no end is better because that which has no beginning does not exist
A pebble can hold back the sea when it is the last one in a wall.
That which has no end is better because that which has no beginning does not exist
A pebble can hold back the sea when it is the last one in a wall.
The question was "when" can a pebble hold back the sea and not "how". An answer might be a pebble can hold back the sea at low tide!
God has no beginning and no end. So, that question has no answer. I think the best response would be to teach the student humility, or that some questions have no clear-cut answer.
deepsea: "...that which has no beginning does not exist."
rlclarke: "God has no beginning and no end."
Yes! The atheists are right!
(just kidding... not wanting to start a religious debate here!)
rlclarke: "God has no beginning and no end."
Yes! The atheists are right!
(just kidding... not wanting to start a religious debate here!)
Hi everyone, I am new to this group, and I certainly don't want to step on any toes or cross any boundaries...but, please consider this:
Q1) "Which is greater, that which has no beginning or that which has no end?"
A1) That which is has "no beginning" has "no end". And that which has "no end" has "no beginning". Thus, one is "no greater" nor "no less" than the other.
Q2) "When can a pebble hold back the sea?"
A1) When the pebble becomes "equal to" the sea.
Q3) What was the Zen Master's first lesson?
A3) First, let me say that it is "the student" who feels that he's learned "the first lesson", NOT the Master. The student's sudden "awareness" of his "ignorance" is only 1 of many "Enlightened Moments" / "Realizations" / "Aha Moments" that one will experience on his journey to...let's say, "Awaken-ness". Again, these may feel like individual lessons, but to the Master, they're all One Lesson.
In closing, please understand that the questions of the Master is to set the student(s) on a path or journey that will eventually lead them to "Enlightenment".
Thank you for reading and please forgive me if I inadvertently crossed this community's boundaries and/or policies.
Q1) "Which is greater, that which has no beginning or that which has no end?"
A1) That which is has "no beginning" has "no end". And that which has "no end" has "no beginning". Thus, one is "no greater" nor "no less" than the other.
Q2) "When can a pebble hold back the sea?"
A1) When the pebble becomes "equal to" the sea.
Q3) What was the Zen Master's first lesson?
A3) First, let me say that it is "the student" who feels that he's learned "the first lesson", NOT the Master. The student's sudden "awareness" of his "ignorance" is only 1 of many "Enlightened Moments" / "Realizations" / "Aha Moments" that one will experience on his journey to...let's say, "Awaken-ness". Again, these may feel like individual lessons, but to the Master, they're all One Lesson.
In closing, please understand that the questions of the Master is to set the student(s) on a path or journey that will eventually lead them to "Enlightenment".
Thank you for reading and please forgive me if I inadvertently crossed this community's boundaries and/or policies.
I'd like to have more like this. It's not only interesting but significant and well-told.
In Zen Buddhism there is a tradition of asking unanswerable questions as a way of getting the mind out of the ordinary "logical" world, because you won't find enlightenment that way.
Incidentally, most westerners seem to be familiar with this sort of thing only in terms of Zen Buddhism, but you can find the same approach to the indescribable in Taoism, Indian traditions, and Christian mysticism. It seems to be a universal human experience.
In Zen Buddhism there is a tradition of asking unanswerable questions as a way of getting the mind out of the ordinary "logical" world, because you won't find enlightenment that way.
Incidentally, most westerners seem to be familiar with this sort of thing only in terms of Zen Buddhism, but you can find the same approach to the indescribable in Taoism, Indian traditions, and Christian mysticism. It seems to be a universal human experience.
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!