Expert's Dilemma

Once there was a monk who was an expert on the Diamond Sutra, and as books were very valuable in his day, he carried the only copy in his part of the world on his back. He was widely sought after for his readings and insight into the Diamond Sutra, and very successful at propounding its profundities to not only monks and masters but to the lay people as well. 
Thus the people of that region came to know of the Diamond Sutra, and as the monk was traveling on a mountain road, he came upon an old woman selling tea and cakes. 
The hungry monk would have loved to refresh himself, but alas, he had no money.
He told the old woman, "I have upon my back a treasure beyond knowing -- the Diamond Sutra. If you will give me some tea and cakes, I will tell you of this great treasure of knowledge." 
The old woman knew something of the Diamond Sutra herself, and proposed her own bargain. 
She said, "Oh learned monk, if you will answer a simple question, I will give you tea and cakes."
To this the monk readily agreed. 
The woman then said, "When you eat these cakes, are you eating with the mind of the past, the mind of the present or the mind of the future?"

No answer occurred to the monk, so he took the pack from his back and got out the text of the Diamond Sutra, hoping he could find the answer. 
As he studied and pondered, the day grew late and the old woman packed up her things to go home for the day. 
"You are a foolish monk indeed," said the old woman as she left the hungry monk in his quandary. "You eat the tea and cakes with your mouth."

Source: A lighter side of Buddhism 

The Trap

A famous teacher took his pupils into a clearing in the forest that was known as a home for wild monkeys. There he took a hollow gourd with a small hole and inserted sweetened rice (a favorite of monkeys). Then he chained the gourd to a stake and waited with his class. 

Soon a very large monkey approached, sniffed the rice, inserted his paw, and screeched in frustration when he was unable to withdraw his paw (now a fist) through the narrow opening. Just then a leopard approached and hearing the monkey screeching decided to have monkey for his dinner. 
"Let go of the rice. Run!" screamed the pupils, but to no avail because the monkey in his hunger for the rice, refused to let go and was as a consequence caught and eaten by the leopard.

 "What was the trap that killed the monkey?" asked the master. "Rice," said one student. "The ground," said another. "No," replied the wise teacher. "The trap was greed." 

“A trap is only a trap if you don't know about it. If you know about it, it's a challenge.” 
― China Miéville, King Rat

You are What You "Drink" / "Eat"...

Sometimes we encounter something and the memories are aroused.

I watched a video that made me think. My Grandmother always said that when we have our lunch and dinner we should be in a happy mood. We should sit together, chitchat and enjoy the food. As children we never understood "Why".

We will always begin the meal with the following :

वदनी कवळ घेता नाम घ्या श्रीहरीचे | सहज हवन होते नाम घेता फुकाचे ||
जीवन करी जिवित्वा अन्न हे पूर्ण ब्रह्म | उदरभरण नोहे जाणिजे यज्ञकर्म ||

vadani kaval gheta naam ghya shri-hariche l
sahaj havan hote naam gheta phukache l
jivan kari jivitva anna he purn-brahma l
udar-bharan nohe janije yadnya-karma ll 

(Meaning: Eating is not  merely for filling stomach but is a sacred act of consuming healthy meal for a complete digestion and so be humble and satisfied with the food.

 We should always remember that we are indeed so blessed to have food of our own choice. There is nothing wrong in being humble,  we should be grateful for the rain (nature in a way) and the farmers for their hard work for the harvests, the fire to cook the food and all the helping hands responsible for serving the food on our plates everyday. A simple way to express gratitude is by saying a thanksgiving prayer )

 Every culture has its own way of saying a prayer of thanksgiving before eating a single morsel of food,  the Christians say their grace.

In Islam, the tradition of saying a prayer when the meal is ready and while starting to eat is followed well: 

• When meal is ready: "Allahumma barik lana fima razaqtana waqina athaban-nar. " (Translation: O Allah! Bless the food You have provided us and save us from the punishment of the hellfire.
• While starting to eat: bismillahi wa 'ala baraka-tillah ("In the name of God and with God's blessing") or simply b-ismi-llāh-ir-raḥmān-ir-raḥīm ("in the name of God, the gracious, the merciful") 

In Japan it is customary to put one's hands together and say "Itadakimasu" (いただきます^?) ("I humbly receive") before eating a meal. "Itadakimasu" is said to express gratitude for all people who played a role in preparing, cultivating or hunting the food.

In Korea, it is customary to say "Jal meokgesseumnida" (잘 먹겠습니다) ("I will eat well'). The saying is not religious in nature, and usually only occurs when eating with someone else.

Does all this has any meaning?

Does this only religious / cultural?

Do you know a thought is a vibration?

Do you know an emotion is a vibration?

Watch the following amazing Video. If water has these properties, can we make best use of it for ourselves? for our well-being? 

If you have stopped the tradition of offering prayer before meals, will you now restart it?

Will you teach that tradition to others? To the young ones in the family?

So I  understand my Grandmother better now.

Raft

"Monks, I will teach you the parable of the raft - for getting across, not for retaining. It is like a man who going on a journey sees a great stretch of water, the near bank with dangers and fears, the farther bank secure and without fears, but there is neither a boat for crossing over, nor a bridge across. It occurs to him that to cross over from the perils of this bank to the security of the farther bank, he should fashion a raft out of sticks and branches and depending on the raft, cross over to safety. 

When he has done this it occurs to him that the raft has been very useful and he wonders if he ought to take it with him on his head and shoulders. What do you think, monks? That the man is doing what should be done to the raft?" 

"No, lord."
 "What should that man do, monks? When he has crossed over to the beyond he must leave the raft and proceed on his journey. Monks, a man doing this would be doing what should be done to the raft. In this way I have taught you Dharma, like the parable of the raft, for getting across, not for retaining. You, monks, by understanding the parable of the raft, must not cling to right states of mind and, all the more, to wrong states of mind." 

Source: Teachings of the Buddha by Jack Kornfield 

The Story of Derek Redmond

The former British 400m record-holder, now 46, was at his peak when he lined up for the 400m semi-final in Barcelona in 1992. Here he relives the day that ended his career but made him an inspiration to millions.

When I took my place on the starting blocks I felt good. 

For once I had no injuries, despite eight operations in four years, and I’d won the first two rounds without breaking sweat – including posting the fastest time in the first round heats. I was confident and when the gun went off I got off to a good start. 

Derek Redmond was helped towards the finish line by his father Jim

‘I got into my stride running round the first turn and I was feeling comfortable. Then I heard a popping sound. I kept on running for another two or three strides then I felt the pain. I thought I’d been shot, but then I recognised the agony.

‘I’d pulled my hamstring before and the pain is excruciating: like someone shoving a hot knife into the back of your knee and twisting it. I grabbed the back of my leg, uttered a few expletives and hit the deck. 

I couldn’t believe this was happening after all the training I’d put in. I looked around to see where the rest of the field were, and they had only 100m to go. I remember thinking if I got up I could still catch them and qualify.

‘The pain was intense. I hobbled about 50m until I was at the 200m mark. Then I realised it was all over. I looked round and saw that everyone else had crossed the finishing line. But I don’t like to give up at anything – not even an argument, as my wife will tell you – and I decided I was going to finish that race if it was the last race I ever did.

‘All these doctors and officials were coming onto the track, trying to get me to stop but I was having none of it. Then, with about 100m to go, I became aware of someone else on the track. I didn’t realise it was my dad, Jim, at first. He said, “Derek, it’s me, you don’t need to do this.”

'I just said, “Dad, I want to finish, get me back in the semi-final.” He said, “OK. We started this thing together and now we’ll finish it together.” He managed to get me to stop trying to run and just walk and he kept repeating, “You’re a champion, you’ve got nothing to prove.” 

 Today I don’t feel anger, just frustration. The footage has since been used in adverts by Visa, Nike and the International Olympic Committee  – I don’t go out of my way to watch it,  but it isn’t painful any more

‘We hobbled over the finishing line with our arms round each other, just me and my dad, the man I’m really close to, who’s supported my athletics career since I was seven years old. I’ve since been told there was a standing ovation by the 65,000 crowd, but nothing registered at the time. I was in tears and went off to the medical room to be looked at, then I took the bus back to the Olympic village. 

My dream was over. In Seoul four years earlier I didn’t even get to the start line because of an Achilles injury and had “DNS” – Did Not Start – next to my name. I didn’t want them to write “DNF” – Did Not Finish – in Barcelona.

‘When I saw my doctor he told me I’d never represent my country again. I felt like there’d been a death. I never raced again and I was angry for two years.  Then one day I just thought: there are worse things than pulling a muscle in a race, and I just decided to get on with my life.

Today I don’t feel anger, just frustration. The footage has since been used in adverts by Visa, Nike and the International Olympic Committee  – I don’t go out of my way to watch it,  but it isn’t painful any more and I have the Visa ad on my iPad. 

‘If I hadn’t pulled a hamstring that day I could have been an Olympic medallist, but I love the life I have now. I might not have been a motivational speaker or competed for my country at basketball, as I went on to do. And my dad wouldn’t have been asked to carry the Olympic torch this year, which was a huge honour for him.

For greater impact, here’s the clip of this touching moment on youtube.

Source: Derek Redmond

Earthquake !!

One day there was an earthquake that shook the entire Zen temple. Parts of it even collapsed! Many of the monks were terrified. 

When the earthquake stopped the teacher said, "Now you have had the opportunity to see how a Zen man behaves in a crisis situation. You may have noticed that I did not panic. I was quite aware of what was happening and what to do. I led you all to the kitchen, the strongest part of the temple. It was a good decision, because you see we have all survived without any injuries. However, despite my self-control and composure, I did feel a little bit tense - which you may have deduced from the fact that I drank a large glass of water, something I never do under ordinary circumstances." 

One of the monks smiled, but didn't say anything. 

"What are you laughing at? asked the teacher. 

"That wasn't water," the monk replied, "it was a large glass of soy sauce."

????

A merchant in Baghdad sent his servant on an errand to the bazaar and the man came back white with fear and trembling. 

"Master," he said, "while I was in the marketplace, I walked into a stranger. When I looked him in the face, I found that it was Death. He made a threatening gesture at me and walked away. 

Now I am afraid. Please give me a horse so that I can ride at once to Samarra and put as great a distance as possible between Death and me." 

The merchant - in his anxiety for the man - gave him his swiftest steed. The servant was on it and away in a trice.

Later in the day the merchant himself went down to the bazaar and saw Death loitering there in the crowd. So he went up to him and said, "You made a threatening gesture at my poor servant this morning.
" What did it mean?"
 "That was no threatening gesture, sir," said Death. "It was a start of surprise at seeing him here in Baghdad."
 "Why would he not be in Baghdad? This is where the man lives." 
"Well, I had been given to understand that he would join me in Samarra tonight, you see..." 

Suggest a Title for this story!

Master: Who?

When the Greek philosopher Diogenes was captured and taken to be sold in the slave market, it is said that he mounted the auctioneer's platform and loudly said, "A master has come here to be sold. Is there some slave among you who is desirous of purchasing him?" 

What a thought ! But this story really generates many questions. The questions that came to my mind were.....

Who is a Master?
Who is a Slave?

Can a Master be bought? 
       Who has the 'capacity' to Buy a Master?
Can a Master be sold?
        Who is the Master of Master who can sell him?

Who can 'Buy' a Master?
Can a Master 'Sell' himself?

A Master is  always a Master.
A Master gives us an opportunity to be a Master.
             Master of Whom? 
                Master of What? For What?


Do share your thoughts.

Belief

    A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

    Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might. Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn’t be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible. 

    The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows.

    Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain, and he was completely exhausted. His companions began anew, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and wonder of wonders! He finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom and then gathering around him asked, “Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?” Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds. 

Sum of small moments

In 2010, Dave Brailsford faced a tough job.
No British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France, but as the new General Manager and Performance Director for Team Sky (Great Britain’s professional cycling team), Brailsford was asked to change that.

His approach was simple.
Brailsford believed in a concept that he referred to as the “aggregation of marginal gains.” He explained it as “the 1% margin for improvement in everything you do.” His belief was that if you improved every area related to cycling by just 1 percent, then those small gains would add up to remarkable improvement.
They started by optimizing the things you might expect: the nutrition of riders, their weekly training program, the ergonomics of the bike seat, and the weight of the tires.
But Brailsford and his team didn’t stop there. They searched for 1 percent improvements in tiny areas that were overlooked by almost everyone else:

discovering the pillow that offered the best sleep and taking it with them to hotels,
testing for the most effective type of massage gel, and
teaching riders the best way to wash their hands to avoid infection.
They searched for 1 percent improvements everywhere.
Brailsford believed that if they could successfully execute this strategy, then Team Sky would be in a position to win the Tour de France in five years time.
He was wrong. They won it in three years.
In 2012, Team Sky rider Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France. That same year, Brailsford coached the British cycling team at the 2012 Olympic Games and dominated the competition by winning 70 percent of the gold medals available.
In 2013, Team Sky repeated their feat by winning the Tour de France again, this time with rider Chris Froome. Many have referred to the British cycling feats in the Olympics and the Tour de France over the past 10 years as the most successful run in modern cycling history.
The Aggregation of Marginal Gains:
It’s so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making better decisions on a daily basis.
Almost every habit that you have — good or bad — is the result of many small decisions over time.
And yet, how easily we forget this when we want to make a change.
Often we convince ourselves that change is only meaningful if there is some large, visible outcome associated with it. Whether it is losing weight, building a business, traveling the world or any other goal,we often put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will talk about.
Meanwhile, improving by just 1 percent isn’t notable (and sometimes it isn’t even noticeable). But it can be just as meaningful, especially in the long run.
And from what I can tell, this pattern works the same way in reverse. (An aggregation of marginal losses, in other words.) If you find yourself stuck with bad habits or poor results, it’s usually not because something happened overnight. It’s the sum of many small choices — a 1 percent decline here and there — that eventually leads to a problem.
In the beginning, there is basically no difference between making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse. In other words, it won’t impact you very much today. But as time goes on, these small improvements or declines compound and you suddenly find a very big gap between people who make slightly better decisions on a daily basis and those who don’t. 
This is why small choices don’t make much of a difference at the time, but add up over the long-term.

On a related note, this is why I love setting a schedule for important things, planning for failure, and using the “never miss twice” rule. I know that it’s not a big deal if I make a mistake or slip up on a habit every now and then. It’s the compound effect of never getting back on track that causes problems. By setting a schedule to never miss twice, you can prevent simple errors from snowballing out of control.
The Bottom Line:
Success is a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. - Jim Rohn
You probably won’t find yourself in the Tour de France anytime soon, but the concept of aggregating marginal gains can be useful all the same.
Most people love to talk about success (and life in general) as an event. We talk about losing 50 pounds or building a successful business or winning the Tour de France as if they are events. But the truth isthat most of the significant things in life aren’t stand-alone events, but rather the sum of all the moments when we chose to do things 1 percent better or 1 percent worse. Aggregating these marginal gains makes a difference.
There is power in small wins and slow gains.
This is why average speed yields above average results.
This is why the system is greater than the goal.
This is why mastering your habits is more important than achieving a certain outcome.
When are you starting the 1 percent improvements in your life?
--by James Clear

Truth : Subjective or Objective

One day Chuang Tzu and a friend were walking by a river. "Look at the fish swimming about," said Chuang Tzu, "They are really enjoying themselves."

"You are not a fish," replied the friend, "So you can't truly know that they are enjoying themselves."

"You are not me," said Chuang Tzu. "So how do you know that I do not know that the fish are enjoying themselves?"

“Imagine a wall that's green on one side and red on the other. You stand on one side and only see green. I stand on the other side and only see red. We'll both be right about the color we see, even though we disagree on what color the wall is. Being able to realize that the other person has a valid point, even if you disagree with it, that's maturity.” 
― Oliver Gaspirtz

Disciple

A Zen master named Gettan lived in the latter part of the Tokugawa era. He used to say: "There are three kinds of disciples: those who impart Zen to others, those who maintain the temples and shrines, and then
there are the rice bags and the clothes-hangers."
Gasan expressed the same idea. When he was studying under Tekisui, his teacher was very severe.

Sometimes he even beat him. Other pupils would not stand this kind of teaching and quit. Gasan remained, saying: "A poor disciple utilizes a teacher's influence. A fair disciple admires a teacher's kindness. A good disciple grows strong under a teacher's discipline."

Master

Tajima no Kami was fencing master to the Shogun.
One of the Shogun's bodyguards came to him one day asking to be trained in swordsmanship.
"I have watched you carefully," said Tajima no Kami, "and you seem to be a master in the art yourself.
Before taking you on as a pupil, I request you to tell me what master you studied under."
The bodyguard replied, "I have never studied the art under anyone."
"You cannot fool me," said the teacher. "I have a discerning eye and it never fails."
"I do not mean to contradict your excellency," said the guard, "but I really do not know a thing about fencing."
The teacher engaged the man in swordplay for a few minutes then stopped and said, "Since you say you have never learned the art, I take your word for it. But you are some kind of master. Tell me about yourself."
"There is one thing," said the guard. "When I was a child I was told by a samurai that a man should never fear death. I therefore faced the question of death till it ceased to cause me the slightest anxiety."
"So that's what it is," said Tajima no Kami. "The ultimate secret of swordsmanship lies in being free from the fear of death. You need no training. You are a master in your own right."

Listen to Your Heart !!

It was the beginning of summer. I was boarding Udyan Express at Gulbarga railway station. My destination was Bangalore. As I boarded the train, I saw that the second-class reserved compartment was jam-packed with people. I sat down and was pushed to the corner of the berth. Though it was meant for three people, there were already six of us sitting on it...

The ticket collector came in and started checking people's tickets and reservations.

Suddenly, he looked in my direction and asked, 'What about your ticket?'

'I have already shown my ticket to you,' I said.

'Not you, madam, the girl hiding below your berth. Hey, come out, where is your ticket?'

I realized that someone was sitting below my berth. When the collector yelled at her, the girl came out of hiding.

She was thin, dark, scared and looked like she had been crying profusely. She must have been about thirteen or fourteen years old.She had uncombed hair and was dressed in a torn skirt and blouse. She was trembling and folded both her hands.. The collector started forcibly pulling her out from the compartment. Suddenly, I had a strange feeling. I stood up and called out to the collector. 'Sir, I will pay for her ticket,' I said.

Then he looked at me and said, 'Madam, if you give her ten rupees, she will be much happier with that than with the ticket.'

I did not listen to him. I told the collector to give me a ticket to the last destination, Bangalore, so that the girl could get down wherever she wanted.

Slowly, she started talking. She told me that her name was Chitra. She lived in a village near Bidar. Her father was a coolie and she had lost her mother at birth. Her father had remarried and had two sons with her stepmother. But a few months ago, her father had died. Her stepmother started beating her often and did not give her food. She was tired of that life. She did not have anybody to support her so she left home in search of something better.

By this time, the train had reached Bangalore. I said goodbye to Chitra and got down from the train. My driver came and picked up my bags. I felt someone watching me. When I turned back, Chitra was standing there and looking at me with sad eyes. But there was nothing more that I could do. I had paid her ticket out of compassion but I had never thought that she was going to be my responsibility!...

I told her to get into my car. My driver looked at the girl curiously. I told him to take us to my friend Ram's place. Ram ran separate shelter homes for boys and girls. We at the Infosys Foundation supported him financially. I thought Chitra could stay there for some time and we could talk about her future after I came back from my tours.

I was not sure if Chitra would even be there. But to my surprise, I saw Chitra looking much happier than before. Ram suggested that Chitra could go to a high school nearby. I immediately agreed and said that I would sponsor her expenses as long as she continued to study. I left the shelter knowing that Chitra had found a home and a new direction in her life.

I got busier and my visits to the shelter reduced to once a year. But I always enquired about Chitra's well-being over the phone. I knew that she was studying well and that her progress was good.. I offered to sponsor her college studies if she wanted to continue studying. But she said, 'No, Akka. I have talked to my friends and made up my mind. I would like to do my diploma in computer science so that I can immediately get a job after three years.' She wanted to become economically independent as soon as possible.. Chitra obtained her diploma with flying colours. She also got a job in a software company as an assistant testing engineer. When she got her first salary, she came to my office with a sari and a box of sweets.

One day, when I was in Delhi, I got a call from Chitra. She was very happy. 'Akka, my company is sending me to USA! I wanted to meet you and take your blessings but you are not here in Bangalore.'.

Years passed. Occasionally, I received an e-mail from Chitra. She was doing very well in her career. She was posted across several cities in USA and was enjoying life. I silently prayed that she should always be happy wherever she was.

Years later, I was invited to deliver a lecture in San Francisco for Kannada Koota, an organization where families who speak Kannada meet and organize events. The lecture was in a convention hall of a hotel and I decided to stay at the same hotel. After the lecture, I was planning to leave for the airport. When I checked out of the hotel room and went to the reception counter to pay the bill, the receptionist said, 'Ma'am, you don't need to pay us anything. The lady over there has already settled your bill. She must know you pretty well.' I turned around and found Chitra there.

She was standing with a young white man and wore a beautiful sari. She was looking very pretty with short hair. Her dark eyes were beaming with happiness and pride. As soon as she saw me, she gave me a brilliant smile, hugged me and touched my feet. I was overwhelmed with joy and did not know what to say. I was very happy to see the way things had turned out for Chitra. But I came back to my original question. 'Chitra, why did you pay my hotel bill? That is not right.' suddenly sobbing, she hugged me and said, 'Because you paid for my ticket from Bombay(Mumbai) to Bangalore!'

By Sudha Murthy

WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?

I don’t know, and I don’t think that anybody else knows either.

Philosophy is a useless passion. I am using Jean-Paul Sartre’s words, he says ’Man is a useless

passion.’ I say man is NOT a useless passion but philosophy is.

You ask me, ’What is philosophy?’

Nobody has ever defined it. It has remained vague. Not that definitions have not been given to it,

millions of definitions have been given; but THE definition is still missing. Each philosopher gives a

definition, and others contradict it. It is a game, enjoying the gymnastics of logic, it is logic-chopping.

It is like chess – a very intellectual game, very absorbing – but there is no conclusion in it; it is nonconclusive.

The game continues from generation to generation. Slowly slowly, out of this game two

things have arisen: one is science, the other is religion. Science is objective, religion is subjective.

Science is experimental, religion is experiential. Philosophy is neither. It is just hanging in a limbo

between the two. And slowly slowly it is disappearing because that which is objective is being taken

by science every day, and that which is subjective has already been taken by religion. Nothing is

left for philosophy. So now modern philosophy only goes on thinking about language – language

analysis.

The philosophers are asking the most absurd questions because they have lost all the meaningful

questions. Either those questions have been covered by science or by religion. Philosophy is

becoming more and more empty. They cannot find even their own questions now, so either they

take questions from science and they think about them, or they take questions from religion and

they think about them. Their questions are borrowed. Philosophy is a dying phenomenon. It will

not be a surprise that one day you suddenly come to know that philosophy has died. It is on its

deathbed. And you can go to any university and you can see philosophy on its deathbed.

But why have you asked the question? That is more relevant, more important to think about.

I am not teaching philosophy here. What I am saying has nothing to do with philosophy, it is

absolutely experimental and experiential. My effort is to create a scientific religion – the psychology

of the Buddhas. So I am giving you experiments and I am giving you possibilities to experience

something that you have not experienced yet. This is a lab, a workshop. We are bent upon doing

something. I mean business here! Philosophy is not the concern at all. I am very anti-philosophic

and I avoid philosophy because it is playing with shadows, thoughts, speculation. And you can go

on playing infinitely, AD INFINITUM, AD NAUSEAM; there is no end to it. One word creates another

word, one theory creates another theory, and you can go on and on and on. In five thousand years

much philosophy has existed in the world, and to no purpose at all.

But there are people who have the philosophic attitude. And if you are one of them, please drop it;

otherwise you and your energy will be lost in a desert.

I will tell you about the four stages of philosophy in four stories.

The first stage of philosophy, the first story:

One of my favourite stories is that of a boy and girl in New England where sleigh riding is popular

during the cold winters. While riding one Sunday afternoon, bundled up in their blankets, the girl

snuggled up to the boy and said, ’Johnny, I’m cold.’

Johnny looked over to her and said, ’I’m cold, too, Jane. Why not tuck in the blankets?’

So Jane pulled the blankets closer, but pretty soon she moved even closer to Johnny and said, ’My

hands are still cold.’

He didn’t pay much attention to her and soon she nudged him with her elbow and said, ’Johnny, did

you hear me? My hands are cold... and besides nobody loves me.’

This time he looked over to her and said, ’Jane, remember that God loves you, and you can always

sit on your hands to keep them warm.’

This is the first stage of being philosophic.

The second stage, the second story:

A study group of philosophers had been meeting for years to study the Talmud. One member of the

group had a pernicious habit of sipping a little brandy during the meeting. One night he drank just a

little more than usual and became quite tipsy. His companions decided to teach him a lesson. While

he was in his drunken stupor, they carried him off to the cemetery and laid him prone among the

tombstones.

After a while the philosopher woke up. He looked about him, frightened and aghast. Then he started

to reason, ’Am I alive? Or am I dead? If I’m alive, what could I be doing here in the graveyard on top

of the graves? And if I’m dead, then why do I feel that I must go to the bathroom immediately?’

This is the second stage of philosophy.

And the third stage, the third story:

Professor Steinberg had been having his lunch in the same Lower East Side restaurant for twenty

years. Every day he left his office at noon, went to the restaurant and ordered a bowl of chicken

soup – never a change.

But one day the professor called the waiter back after receiving his soup.

’Yes, professor?’ enquired the waiter. ’Waiter, please taste the soup.’

’What do you mean, taste the soup? For twenty years you’ve been eating the same chicken soup

here, every day, yes? Has it ever been any different?’

The professor ignored the waiter’s comments. ’Please, taste this soup,’ he repeated.

’Professor, what’s the matter with you? I know what the chicken soup tastes like.’

’Taste the soup,’ the professor demanded.

’All right, all right, I’ll taste. Where’s the spoon?’

’Aha!’ cried the professor.

This is the third stage.

And the fourth stage, the fourth story:

A woman went to a philosophic psychologist for treatment of her delusion that she was covered with

feathers. After a few sessions the philosopher said to her, ’I feel that we have gotten to the root of

this problem through our discussions and analysis, and it is now behind us. What do you think, Mrs

Smith?’

’Oh,’ said Mrs Smith, ’I think we have had some wonderful sessions and I do feel that the problem

has been taken care of. But,’ she added, ’the only thing that bothers me now is what I’m going to do

with these feathers.’

She raised her hand to her shoulders and began to brush, and the psychologist, the philosopher,

suddenly jumped back.

’Now, hold on just a minute, Mrs Smith, don’t brush those feathers onto me.’

This is the fourth stage.

Slowly slowly, philosophy becomes a kind of madness. It leads you into neurosis because philosophy

is a mind phenomenon. Science has taken the body, religion has taken the soul, only the mind is

left for philosophy. And mind is potential madness. If you go on too much into the mind, you will be

moving slowly slowly towards madness. It is very rare to find a philosopher who is sane. And vice

versa is also true: it is very rare to find a madman who is not a philosopher.

I am not teaching philosophy here, because I am teaching no-mind. And if you become a no-mind

all philosophy disappears: Christian, Hindu, Mohammedan, Buddhist – all philosophies disappear;

Hegelian, Kantian, Russellian – all philosophies disappear. If the mind disappears, where can the

philosophy exist? where can it grow? Mind is the breeding ground of philosophy.

Let the mind disappear. And the beauty is: when there is no mind and nobody to philosophize and

nothing to philosophize about, one comes to know. Philosophy is the blind man’s effort. It is said:

Philosophy is a blind man in a dark room on a dark night, searching for a black cat which is not

there...

From The Secret of Secrets, Osho

You Are Just Like Everyone Else

"Tattoo inside your eyelids this reminder:

'you are the messenger, not the message. You are just like everyone else.' "
This was the advice given by a charismatic Zen teacher to a class of Zen teachers-in-training.

"What do you mean?" they asked her.

"I'll begin with a story about a besieged town that was surrounded by enemies who would slaughter all the inhabitants if help didn't arrive. Just when things looked hopeless, a messenger slipped through enemy lines with the message that the army of the Shogun would attack in the morning and drive off the
invaders.

"The townspeople were so enraptured with this news that they treated the messenger like a hero. And after the Shogun's army left, they elected the messenger mayor. Though a pleasant fellow, the messenger turned out to be a thoroughly inept leader and was soon sent away in disgrace.

"The lesson here is never confuse the message--which is the precious gift of Buddha--with the messenger. You are only a messenger.
"When you stun an audience with the wisdom of a lecture, when your students cede to you the molding of their minds, when you are treated as someone special, focus on the message inside your eyelids:

You are the messenger, not the message.
You are just like everyone else."