It is more correct to say that Thomas Aquinas is not impressed with his own theology. (Nor am I, as a Zen Buddhist, for other reasons.) How did this happen to one of the Doctors of the Church, known as the greatest Catholic theologian? With great difficulty (as usual), specifically by passing beyond the limits of theology.
On 6 December 1273, while Thomas was celebrating Mass, he experienced an unusually long ecstasy.[60] He then abandoned his theological writing, saying, “All that I have written seems like straw to me"[61] (mihi videtur ut palea).[62] As a result, the Summa Theologica would remain uncompleted.[63]
Murray, Paul (2013). "10. The collapse, the silence". Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism and Poetry. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4411-0589-9.
I have long understood this to be the most impressive fact about Aquinas—that he turned into a Zen water buffalo.
Zen Master Congshen of Zhaozhuo asked his teacher, Nanquan, “Where will the one who knows go?”
Nanquan said, “To a donor’s house near the mountain, and become a water buffalo.”
Zhaozhou thanked him for his teaching.
Nanquan said, “Late last night the moonlight came through the window.”
Koan 3 in Dogen Zenji’s koan collection, The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen’s 300 Koans (PDF)
Moonlight is, of course, a metaphor for the Unexcelled Supreme Truth of Buddhism, not to be in any way confused with the so-called wisdom of the world. I will leave finding the donor’s house and the mountain to you.
The gift of Truth excels all gifts.
I have been telling you about a variety of koans as they have arisen in various religious traditions. You should not, however, think that I have explained anything. If you want to understand at all, you have to raise your own koan, find the Thought of Awakening, lose yourself in the Great Doubt, and come out the other side (for lack of a better description)—which, as we have seen, is the same side, but without the earlier confusion. And then we must always be disturbed by the Truth, we must always understand that we could be wrong, we must train forever.
Buddha Threading the Needle/佛陀穿針
Anuruddha was a dedicated monk. He devoted himself to chanting the scriptures, often staying up all night. Because of overwork, he became blind. Although he was sad, he did not lose hope but instead studied more diligently. One day, his clothes had a hole in them, so he mended them himself. Later, the thread came off and he could not see, so he was in great distress. Knowing the difficulty of Anuruddha, the Buddha came to his room and took the thread and threaded the needle for him.
"Who threaded the needle for me?" Anuruddha asked.
"It was the Buddha who threaded the needle for you." The Buddha answered while mending the torn hole. Anuruddha was so touched that he shed tears.
"It is our duty to have compassion for others and to help others."
The Buddha set a good example for everyone. Knowing this, the disciples were very touched and all encouraged each other to help each other and serve the public.
On another occasion, the Buddha said,
I am eager for merit, monk. I have a taste for obtaining merit, monk, such that I am never satiated.
Avadānaśataka
