When Eshun, the Zen nun, was past sixty and about to leave this world, she asked some monks to pile up wood in the yard.
Seating herself firmly in the center of the funeral pyre, she had it set fire around the edges.
"O nun!" shouted one monk, "is it hot in there?"
"Such a matter would concern only a stupid person like yourself," answered Eshun.
The flames arose, and she passed away.
NOTE: OKAY, DOES THIS MEAN ESHUN FELT THERE WERE MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS HAPPENING TO HER RIGHT THEN THAN WORRYING ABOUT THE HEAT OF THE FIRE? IS SHE CRAZY? DID SHE KNOW IT WAS TIME FOR HER TO DIE SO SHE DECIDED TO DO THINGS LIKE SHE WANTED TO IN ORDER TO HAVE SOME FINAL CONTROL OVER HER LIFE?
I THINK ITS MORE ABOUT THE FIRST IDEA THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THE PURPOSE OF KOANS IS TO DIRECT YOUR THINKING IN ORDER TO AVOID THE "MONKEY MIND".
