Kernel Of Corn
Grano de maíz--por Thich Nhat Hanh
Había un paciente en un hospital psiquiátrico [en Vietnam] que parecía normal. Comía y hablaba como los demás, pero creía que era un grano de maíz y cada vez que veía un pollo corría para salvar su vida. No era consciente de su condición. Cuando la enfermera se lo contó al médico, este le dijo: “Señor, usted no es un grano de maíz, es un ser humano. Tiene pelo, ojos, nariz y brazos”. Dio una especie de sermón y finalmente preguntó: “Señor, ¿puede decirme qué es usted?”.
El hombre respondió: “Doctor, soy un ser humano, no soy un grano de maíz”. El médico estaba contento. Sentía que había ayudado mucho a este paciente. Pero para estar seguro, le pidió al hombre que repitiera la frase: “Soy un ser humano, no soy un grano de maíz” cuatrocientas veces al día y que la escribiera en un papel trescientas veces más cada día. El hombre se dedicó a hacerlo y dejó de salir. Se limitaba a quedarse en su habitación repitiendo y escribiendo exactamente lo que el médico le había recetado.
Un mes después, el médico fue a verlo y la enfermera le informó: “Está muy bien. Se queda en la casa y practica los ejercicios que le dio con mucha diligencia”.
El médico le preguntó: “Señor, ¿cómo le va?”.
“Muy bien, gracias, doctor”.
“¿Puede decirme quién es usted?”.
“Oh, sí, doctor. Soy un ser humano. No soy un grano de maíz”.
El médico estaba encantado. Dijo: “Le daremos el alta en unos días. Por favor, venga conmigo a mi consultorio”. Pero mientras el médico, la enfermera y el paciente caminaban juntos hacia el consultorio, pasó una gallina y el hombre salió corriendo tan rápido que el médico no pudo cogerlo. Pasó más de una hora antes de que la enfermera lo trajera al consultorio.
El médico estaba agitado. “Dijiste que eres un ser humano y no un grano de maíz. Entonces, ¿por qué saliste corriendo cuando viste una gallina?”
El hombre dijo: “Por supuesto que sé que soy un ser humano y no un grano de maíz. Pero ¿cómo puedo estar seguro de que la gallina lo sabe?”
Preguntas para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te identificas con la diferencia entre el conocimiento intelectual y la comprensión profunda? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de una ocasión en la que hayas visto esta diferencia manifestarse en tu vida? ¿Qué te ayuda a ir más allá del conocimiento intelectual y a avanzar hacia una comprensión profunda?
Thich Nhat Hanh fue un monje budista, autor, profesor y una celebridad mundial que fue nominado al Premio Nobel de la Paz por Martin Luther King Jr. Extracto del libro 'Touching Peace'.
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk, an author, a teacher, and a global luminary who was nominated for Noble Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. Excerpt above from the book 'Touching Peace'.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the difference between intellectual knowing and deep understanding? Can you share a personal story of a time you saw this difference play out in your life? What helps you move beyond an intellectual knowing and toward a deep understanding?
Add Your Reflection
10 Past Reflections
On Feb 4, 2025 Khushi wrote :
While I know intelletually and also from reflecting on the past that I am being taken care of by a greater force and that things are happening on their own and there is some level of surrender in my life there is also a lot of fear of uncertainty and change. It feels like there's a deeper being that has not fully understood or accepted certain things yet.
Post Your Reply
On Feb 4, 2025 Nikhil wrote :
"Beauty is skin deep" - we all know this intellectually and know that we must look beyond physical appearances. But do we really practice it ? We must ask ourselves this, in every interaction and relationship we have in the world. To really see a person, to really understand the quote, to have a deeper knowledge is indeed hard.
Perhaps experience is the only way true deep knowledge is gained. Therefore using the intellectual wisdom and repeatedly applying it in experience seems to be the only way forward. We will fail many times but slowly and surely deepen our knowledge over time.
Perhaps experience is the only way true deep knowledge is gained. Therefore using the intellectual wisdom and repeatedly applying it in experience seems to be the only way forward. We will fail many times but slowly and surely deepen our knowledge over time.
1 reply: Khushi | Post Your Reply
On Feb 4, 2025 Christine wrote :
yep. to truly know one "needs" no agreement from a seeming "other". boom diggity boom.
Post Your Reply
On Feb 3, 2025 Pankaj wrote :
Wonderful parable!
Of course, these days one cannot trust any of their senses. Just last night, my daughter had quite a laugh when I was duped by what proved to be an AI-generated video that was shared with me! But that is a different matter . . .
It is a worthwhile introspection to define what "knowing" means in great detail before trying to assess what one knows! Hearing something, or seeing it, or reading it, or smelling it, or touching or indeed even tasting it -- does that give one complete knowledge of it? Not always! One must be vigilant and thorough before elevating the state of any information to "knowledge".
Of course, these days one cannot trust any of their senses. Just last night, my daughter had quite a laugh when I was duped by what proved to be an AI-generated video that was shared with me! But that is a different matter . . .
It is a worthwhile introspection to define what "knowing" means in great detail before trying to assess what one knows! Hearing something, or seeing it, or reading it, or smelling it, or touching or indeed even tasting it -- does that give one complete knowledge of it? Not always! One must be vigilant and thorough before elevating the state of any information to "knowledge".
Post Your Reply
On Feb 1, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
Who am I? Am I my body? Am I my mind? Am I my heart? Am I beyond these three dimentions? Is there somehing invisible in me which transcends these three dimensions? Am I the fourth dimension which is free from the three dimensions-body, mind and heart? As the Buddha said when he got enlightened: Gate, gate, parasangate Bodhi swaha. Gone, gone beyond, gone beyond the beyond. It is nameless, formless, shapeless. And that's who I am, my true identity. What an awakening!
This is enlightenment.
Knowing the reality, suchness, cognitively, emotionally and relationally has limitations. By freeing onelf from oneself is real freedom. It is like an open sky with no clouds. I fly in that open and clear sky in which there are no man-made boundaries.
By understanding and implementing such Realty in my daily life, my life blossoms like a flower with one thosand petals. And that flower does not wither away. This is a holistic way of living. It is fulfilling. I need to remain awakened and not... [View Full Comment]
Post Your Reply
On Jan 30, 2025 David Doane wrote :
Thich Nhat Hanh's story provided understanding deeper than intellectual that he has a sense of humor. Intellectual knowing is head or cognitive knowing. Deep understanding is more than head, is body or experiential knowing. Before having grandchildren, I intellectually knew having grandchildren was a joy . Since having grandchildren, I have deep understanding or experiential knowing that having grandchildren is a joy, which means my understanding and knowing involves much more of me than my head, involves my body, heart, feelings, senses, conscious and unconscious. What helps me move toward a deep understanding is experience, bodily involvement. Thinking and words aren't enough; they touch only the surface of me. Experience penetrates my being and gives deep understanding.
Post Your Reply
On Jan 30, 2025 Victoria Crawford wrote :
Such a great story..... :) I laughed at the ending.....Thank you for sharing!
This brings to mind the many times when caught in fear and struggling to find grounding and balance, I would say to myself, 'all is ok. I am safe. I am at peace'.....and yet my body would continue to be stressed and my mind fearful and anxious. Although now during these uncertain and challenging times, I may still become overwhelmed, as I have practiced and aged I have learned the deeper truth of inner safety and inner security. I find that now when caught in upset and I remember these words, a feeling of peace and calmness arises. I also 'see' calm waters or a deeply rooted tree and feel settled and grounded. The intellectual knowing has become a deeper understanding that the fear may always be there but so too is the peace.
This brings to mind the many times when caught in fear and struggling to find grounding and balance, I would say to myself, 'all is ok. I am safe. I am at peace'.....and yet my body would continue to be stressed and my mind fearful and anxious. Although now during these uncertain and challenging times, I may still become overwhelmed, as I have practiced and aged I have learned the deeper truth of inner safety and inner security. I find that now when caught in upset and I remember these words, a feeling of peace and calmness arises. I also 'see' calm waters or a deeply rooted tree and feel settled and grounded. The intellectual knowing has become a deeper understanding that the fear may always be there but so too is the peace.
Post Your Reply
On Jan 30, 2025 Patrick wrote :
Thay and Tenzin Gyatsu (DL14) have a delightful and whimsical way of telling such stories. And of course such telling is best in intimate personal settings so that the listener may see, hear and engage. Therein true delight for the teller and the listener.