Mankind Faces a Crossroads

CASE

Woody Allen remarked, “More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”

COMMENTARY

Woody Allen is a comedian and film maker. The case is from “My Speech to the Graduates.”

Case #5 in the Mumonkan: Kyogen’s “Man up in a Tree.”

Kyogen Osho said, “It is like a man up in a tree hanging from a branch with his mouth; his hands grasp no bough, his feet rest on no limb. Someone appears under the tree and asks him, ‘What is the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from the West?’ If he does not answer, he fails to respond to the question. If he does answer, he will lose his life. What would you do in such a situation?”

Paul Goodman, an American social critic, once said if you’re stuck, you’re not being creative enough.

Caring leads to frustration. Frustration leads to not caring. Not caring is a mask for not trying, which leads somewhere else. Find where you are and swallow the whole world.

VERSE by Dairyu

When there is no way out
Breathe
When there is a way out
Breathe
What do these things have in common?