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Topic: Clever Arguments (Read 1284 times) |
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william wu
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Clever Arguments
« on: Nov 3rd, 2003, 6:44pm » |
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I don't know if anyone can relate to this topic, but we'll see. In reading literature, occasionally I've come across short stories that involve very witty -- often argumentative -- dialogue which I've found very memorable for some reason. I can't quite characterize these stories ... they come from all places, and are similar to Aesop's fables, but a little more edgy, illustrating masterful manipulation of the thoughts and behavior of others with merely a few words. Here are some I like:
33. Mokusen's Hand
Mokusen Hiki was living in a temple in the province of Tamba. One of his adherents complained of the stinginess of his wife.
Mokusen visited the adherent's wife and showed her his clenched fist before her face.
"What do you mean by that?" asked the surprised woman.
"Suppose my fist were always like that. What would you call it?" he asked.
"Deformed," replied the woman.
Then he opened his hand flat in her face and asked: "Suppose it were always like that. What then?"
"Another kind of deformity," said the wife.
"If you understand that much," finished Mokusen, "you are a good wife." Then he left.
After his visit, this wife helped her husband to distribute as well as to save.
- Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
45. Right & Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again bankei disregarded the matter. this angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they woudl leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition, he called everyone before him. "You are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.
- Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
85. Time to Die
Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"
"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has to die and has just so long to live."
Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for your cup to die."
- Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
As Jesus became increasingly popular, some of the religious leaders (Pharisees) became jealous and tried to trap Jesus into saying something or doing something for which He could be arrested.
The land of the Jews at that time was part of the Roman Empire. The Jews were ruled over by a Caesar. So, a few of the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus into saying something that would anger the Romans. They asked Jesus about the issue of Jews having to pay taxes to a Roman Caesar.
"Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away."
- Matthew 22:15-22
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| « Last Edit: Nov 3rd, 2003, 6:48pm by william wu » |
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maryl
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Loved them Willy, do you have more?
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Icarus
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Re: Clever Arguments
« Reply #2 on: Nov 4th, 2003, 5:37pm » |
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Well, since William has brought the one, there are two others in the Bible that are both well-known, and which I also appreciate:
"And early in the morning Jesus came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to him; and he sat down and began to teach them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, they said to him, 'Rabbi, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do you say?'
And they were saying this, testing him, in order that they might have grounds for accusing him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking him, He straightened up, and said to them, 'He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' And again, he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the eldest, and he was left alone with the woman in the midst.
And straightening up, Jesus said to her, 'Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?' And she said, 'No one, lord.' And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more.'"
- John 8:2-11
"Then two women who were prostitutes came to king Solomon and stood before him. And the one woman said, 'Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child, and three days later this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no one else but the two of us in the house.
And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully, behold, he was not my son!'
Then the other woman said, 'No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.' Thus they spoke before the king.
Then the king said, 'The one says, "This is my son, who is living, and your son is the dead one"; and the other says "No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one."' And the king said, 'Get me a sword.', So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, 'Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.'
Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, 'Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.' But the other said, 'He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!'
Then the king answered and said, 'Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.'"
1st Kings 3:16-27
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