禅Nagarjuna

proverb

Snake and Rope

Indic

Traditionally attributed

Text

In the dim light, the rope looked like a snake. Once the lamp was brought, neither the snake nor the rope was as you had supposed. Bring the lamp, and your problems re-introduce themselves.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

Lineage: Indian Patriarchs

By Nagarjuna

Sources

  • contentEssays in Zen Buddhism, First Series

    D. T. Suzuki

No per-field confidence has been recorded for this teaching yet. Treat individual claims with the caution appropriate to the source list below.

Attribution status: traditional — see editorial policy for what this means.

1 supporting citation on record (see Sources above).

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