a troubled farmers daughter went to her non-troubled dad and they talked

the father said why do you trouble yourself so much—it hurts me to see you struggle

the daughter said i want to know what is up with the world—with me—i want to get to that peaceful place where the world makes sense and i never have to struggle—dont you ?? she asked

the father said i dont have to struggle to get to that place—i was born in that place

so some people are born there and some people have to struggle to get there

but once they get there—those two people are not the same

one is there (naturally) and he doesnt know much of the nature of his happiness—he is zen and he doesnt know how

the other knows how she got there—she has the power and the wisdom of knowing (intimately) the natures of dark and light—she is both zen and the mechanics of zen—she knows up and down the paths that take you from and the paths that lead you back into the light

on one hand you have doing what youre doing and not knowing how

on the other hand you have doing what youre doing and knowing how

that is the difference between being on the path the whole time and leaving and then returning to the path

theyre both on the path—but these two are entirely different creatures