The quote in the image is a Zen koan. In this koan, "One morning, Hogen was giving the monks teaching before breakfast. He pointed to the bamboo blinds. Two monks came forward and rolled them up. 'One wins, the other loses,' said Hogen."

Zen koans are often paradoxical or puzzling statements or stories, used in Zen Buddhism to provoke deeper meditation, challenge the conventional understanding, and help students develop a more direct perception of reality.

In this specific koan, Hogen points to the bamboo blinds, which prompts two monks to roll them up. His statement, "One wins, the other loses," may seem confusing because both monks performed the same action. The koan challenges the reader or listener to reflect on the nature of competition, duality, and the essence of action and outcome in Zen practice.

The statement might suggest that the external act of rolling up the blinds is not as important as the internal state or intention of the monks who performed the act. In Zen, the outcome of one's actions might be seen as less significant than the mindfulness and understanding with which one acts. This koan encourages contemplation on how actions are valued and judged, and it may also hint at the arbitrary nature of winning and losing in the context of spiritual practice.

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