a koan i like from a book i like

at an old monastery, very high in the himalayas, the accolyte was not finding the way. 

the accolyte went and looked into the gentle smile of the old master and said:

"master, i am deeply troubled. i cannot find the way." 

and the master's smile deepened, and the master smote the head of the accolyte and pointed to the snow-capped mountains:

"all of these mountains have snow on the top, except one. which one?" 

and the master LEFT the accolyte and the accolyte STARED out across the void to the mountains and the head of the accolyte DID hurt. 

whereupon the accolyte attained enlightenment, and went to the master. the master smiled.

<scroll down >

when the master smote the head of the accolyte, it was a hint

<scroll down >

it is uncommon for young people's hair to be snow-white

<scroll down >

the master, being very old, had snow-white hair, as did all the other masters. the accolyte, not being old, did not have snow-white hair.  

my interpretation is just my interpretation. i am not a master. 

this is a liberal paraphrasing of the koan given to the narrator in Peter Matthiessen's "The Snow Leopard" - "All the peaks are covered with snow - why is this one bare?"

"Still I sit a little while, watching the light rise to the peaks. In the boulder at my back, there is a shudder, so slight that at another time it might have gone unnoticed. The tremor comes again; the earth is nudging me. And still I do not see."

you can get a Random Koan