Two novice monks were walking in the garden and observing the older monks as they walked, meditated and smoked their pipes. The first novice turned to the second and asked, do you think it would be alright if we also smoked a pipe? The second novice bore witness to his own lack of knowledge and suggested that they should ask the senior monk. They both agreed that they would ask that evening.
The next morning the first novice came into the meditation garden and looking around he saw the second novice walking, meditating, and smoking a pipe. Excited with disbelief, the first monk ran unrestrained towards the second monk and when close enough expressed a declaration as much as a question, what are you doing? The second monk calmly replied, isn't it obvious! The first novice proceeded to assert, we said that we would ask the master! The second monk answered, yes and I did! The first monk responded, no!, you couldn't have for the master would have said no to you as he did to me!
Calmly the second novice inquired, what exactly did you ask the master? The first monk responded, I said, Master if I am in the garden meditating would it be alright if I smoke? Speaking in a voice full of criticism and judgment the first novice monk continued, and the Master told me, absolutely no! The second novice monk nodded his head in understanding and said, ah! when I questioned the master I said, Master, if I am in the garden smoking would it be alright if I meditate? And he said absolutely yes!
I guess its in the way you ask the question . . . . questions are not benign. The question and the structure of the question are not without their consequence. The road to wisdom is paved with questions! Only the correct questions asked in the proper manner can lead to the answers to the mysteries you may wish to understand and master.
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