{"id":1062,"date":"2009-02-03T23:36:58","date_gmt":"2009-02-03T15:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/?p=1062"},"modified":"2009-02-03T23:41:08","modified_gmt":"2009-02-03T15:41:08","slug":"ticket-pseudo-koan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/2009\/02\/ticket-pseudo-koan\/","title":{"rendered":"Ticket : Pseudo-Koan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Advice on tackling a koan:<\/p>\n

It must be like gulping a hot iron ball
\nthat you can neither swallow or spit out.<\/span><\/p>\n

– Wumen (Mumon): The Gateless Gate<\/em><\/p>\n

While attending the local premiere of ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ at Grand Cathay tonight, a koan-like situation occurred at the row in front. A couple came in and asked two who were seated to move, saying their tickets are for the seats they are in. The seated couple stands, looks at their own tickets and exclaim that there are no seat numbers on them, which means it’s free seating (as this is a special screening). Now, how do you resolve this dilemma? The first couple has proof that they can sit anywhere, while the second has proof that they should sit there. What do you do when there are conflicting rules?<\/p>\n

Someone else notices that the tickets with seat numbers are for theatre 7 not 1. The printed numbers must have looked similar with their pointed tops. The second couple had entered the wrong theatre! They apologise to the folks on the row before leaving. What’s the moral of this incident? Some koan-like situations are not real koans, which cannot be resolved normally. In other words, they can be resolved conventionally by calm, rational and mindful scrutiny into what could had caused the conflict! Startling great wisdom is not always needed; common sense would suffice at times. (By the way, ‘Benjamin Button’ is an amazing story… look out for a review of it soon. I scribbled many notes about it in the semi-darkness of the theatre and could hardly keep up during some parts.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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