Getting ready to die

Just a few days before, a sannyasin came and The Master asked her how long she was going to stay here. She said three months. 'Okay, that will be enough to kill you.' She said, 'What!?' But now she has understood the point -- getting ready to die.

Commandments for you

Shall I tell you a joke? Any kind of joke, is it okay?

Moses went up the mountain. After a long time God appeared. "Hello, Moses. Good to see you. Sorry you had to wait, but I think you will feel it was worth it because I have something very special for you today."
Moses thought for a second and then said, "Oh, no, Lord, really. Thank you, but I don't need anything right now. Some other time perhaps."
"Moses, this is free," said the Lord.
"Then," said Moses, "give me ten!"

That's how the Jews got the Ten Commandments.

- Oh! You missed it. One more joke for you,

Jesus is hanging on the cross singing, "Da-di-li-da-dum-dein...."
Suddenly Peter hisses from underneath, "Hey, Jesus!"
Jesus goes on, "Da-di-dum-da-dum-da-dei...."
Peter, now more urgently, "Hey, Jesus, stop it!"
Jesus continues happily with "Di-duah-duah...."
Finally Peter yells, "For God's sake, Jesus, cut it out! Tourists are coming!"

Try to understand Zen through laughter, not through prayer. Try to understand Zen through flowers, butterflies, sun, moon, children, people in all their absurdities. Watch this whole panorama of life, all these colors, the whole spectrum.

Zen is not a doctrine, it is not a dogma. It is growing into an insight. It is a vision -- very light-hearted, not serious at all.

Be light-hearted, light-footed. Be of light step. Don't carry religion like a burden. And don't expect religion to be a teaching; it is not. It is certainly a discipline, but not a teaching at all.

-- Thanks Osho. Bowing to thy feet.

Student

Desiring to show my attainment, I said all possible things in the name of mastering her. She who was sitting quietly, said nothing. This made me uncomfortable. "If nothing exists," inquired, "where did this uncomfortable come from?"

Core of Religion

I read a zen story and very much glad to share this now here.

Ryokan was a great lover of children. As might be expected of such a character as he was, he himself was a child. He was the child Jesus speaks about. He was so innocent that it was almost unbelievable that a man can be so innocent. He had no cunning, no cleverness. He was so innocent that people used to think that he was a little mad.

He liked to play with children. He played hide-and-seek, he played tamari, hand-ball, too. One evening it was his turn to hide, and he hid himself well under a straw stack in the field. It was growing darker and the children, not being able to locate him, left the field. Early in the following morning, a farmer came and had to remove the straw stack to begin his work. Finding Ryokan there, he exclaimed, ’Oh Ryokan-sama! What are you doing here?’

The master answered, ’Hush! Don’t talk so loud, the children will find me.’

The whole night under that straw he is waiting for the children! Such innocence is Zen. And such innocence is divine. Such innocence knows no distinctions between good and bad, knows no distinctions between this world and that, knows no distinction between this and that. Such innocence is what suchness is. And this suchness is the innermost core of religion.

No water, No moon

This way and that way

I tried to keep the pail of water together,
Hoping the weak bamboo would never break.
Suddenly the bottom fell out.
No more water
No more moon in the water
emptiness in my hand.
-&-
Chiyono (Upon Discovering enlightening with the moon)
Mugai Nyodai, (1223-1298)

-&-

Perspective

The train has started moving. It is packed with people of all ages, mostly with the working men and women and young college guys and gals. Near the window, seated a old man with his 30 year old son. As the train moves by, the son is overwhelmed with joy as he was thrilled with the scenery outside..

See dad, the scenery of green trees moving away is very beautiful.

This behavior from a thirty year old son made the other people feel strange about him. Every one started murmuring something or other about this son."This guy seems to be a krack.." newly married Anup whispered to his wife.

Suddenly it started raining... Rain drops fell on the travelers through the opened window. The Thirty year old son , filled with joy

see dad, how beautiful the rain is ..

Anup's wife got irritated with the rain drops spoiling her new suit.

Anup ," cant you see its raining, you old man, if ur son is not feeling well get him soon to a mental asylum..and dont disturb public henceforth"


The old man hesitated first and then in a low tone replied " we are on the way back from hospital, my son got discharged today morning , he was a blind by birth, last week only he got his vision, these rain and nature are new to his eyes.. Please forgive us for the inconvenience caused..."


The things we see may be right from our perspective until we know the truth. But when we know the truth our reaction to that will hurt even us. So try to understand the problem better before taking a harsh action.

Cool, Perfectly cool

I have heard about one Zen nun. She died, but before she died she asked her disciples,

What do you suggest? How should I die?

It is an old tradition in Zen that masters ask. They can die consciously, so they can ask. And they are so playful even about death, so humorous about it, joking, laughing, they enjoy devising methods how to die.

So disciples may suggest,
Master, this will be good; die standing on your head. Or someone suggests, Walking...because we have never seen anyone die walking.

So this Zen nun asked, What do you suggest?

They said, It will be good if we prepare a fire, and you sit in it and die meditating.

1963. Thich Quang Duc, the Buddhist priest in Southern Vietnam,
burns himself to death protesting the government's torture policy
against priests. Thich Quang Dug never made a sound or moved
while he was burning.

She said, This is beautiful and never heard of before. So they pre-pared a funeral pyre, the nun made herself comfortable in it, sat in a buddha posture, and then they lit the fire.

One man from the crowd asked, How does it feel there? It is so hot that I cannot even come nearer to ask you ? that's why I am shouting. How does it feel there?

The nun laughed and said, Only a fool can ask such a question: How does it feel there? There it always feels cool, perfectly cool.

Existence

There was a small mosquito. since the story was written by me, I m calling the mosquito small. actually, it was the biggest among mosquitoes.

nay, he was the king of mosquitoes! now some mosquitoes lived on the dung-hill, others in trees, yet others in various other places but it became a problem as to where they should house their king. then the ear of an elephant was agreed upon as a befitting place for his residence. now all the mosquitoes went up to their king and requested him to go and stay in the elephant's ear as that was, according to them, the worthiest place for their monarch.

the king went up to the elephant's ear and proclaimed:
"listen o beast! i, the king of the mosquitoes, have decided to honour you by condescending to make your ear my abode!"
"listen o beast! i, the king of the mosquitoes, have decided to make your ear my abode!"
"o beast! i, the king of the mosquitoes, have decided to honour you by condescending to make your ear my abode!"

thrice he made this proclamation for it was not considered proper to occupy a place within someone and not even inform him.

the elephant stood silent.

the mosquito thought, "silence is acceptance, and hence the elephant is silent."


he stayed many years thus. he would fly in and out; he bred his young ones and his family increased considerably. in spite of this, there was ample place even to entertain guests! then the mosquitoes decided to find another place for their king.

before leaving, the mosquito stood once again before the elephant's ear and said,
"listen o beast! i, the king of the mosquitoes, had graciously adorned your ear by making it my royal residence. now i go!"

but there was not a sound from the elephant. should he take this silence as a sign of acceptance, even now?

this was rather difficult and degrading. but perhaps the elephant has not heard, for he neither says yes nor does he say no! the mosquito called out louder and louder.
at last a faint voice reached the elephant's ears --
"i, the king of mosquitoes. stayed within your ear out of great compassion. can you hear me or not?"
the elephant replied: "respected sir, i do not know when you came how long you stayed, i do not know. you come and stay, do whatever you like, i have no knowledge of it!"

this story was told with a purpose.
man comes into the world.
he creates philosophies.
religious paths,
truth,
principles
and words.
he shouts from all the four corners of the vast existence:
"listen ye all -- ram is his name!" or,
"listen ye all -- krishna is his name!" the skies are silent that infinite expanse has no knowledge of this.

do you think this communication is impossible. but this is not impossible. mosquito is the diminutive elephant and elephant is the giant mosquito. I see no qualitative difference.

My lover wedding

She: Are you going?

Me : I'll think about it.

She: She's marrying someone else, but it doesn't mean she doesn't love you.

Me : Let me do my own worrying, all right?

She: Perhaps she was forced to marry.

Me : Perhaps.

She: What's the matter?

Me : I've just thought of something.

She: What?

Me : You cried a lot at your wedding.

She: Everybody does.... She'll cry, too.

Me :

She: ... Isn't that what you want?