Zen koan of the day - Sound of Rain Drops

Sound of Rain Drops

Ching Ch'ing asked a monk, "What sound is that outside the gate?"

The monk said, "The sound of raindrops."

Ch'ing said, "Sentient beings are inverted. They lose themselves and follow after things."

The monk said, "What about you, Teacher?"

Ch'ing said, "I almost don't lose myself."

The monk said, "What is the meaning of 'I almost don't lose myself'?"

Ch'ing said, "Though it still should be easy to express one­ self, to say the whole thing has to be difficult."

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dcj commentary: Ch'ing says 'what's the difference between you and me?'