--Time to Die--

Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"

"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has to die and has just so long to live."

Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for your cup to die."

--Just Go to Sleep--

Gasan was sitting at the bedside of Tekisui three days before his teacher's passing. Tekisui had already chosen him as his successor.

A temple recently had burned and Gasan was busy rebuilding the structure. Tekisui asked him: "What are you going to do when you get the temple rebuilt?"

"When your sickness is over we want you to speak there," said Gasan.

"Suppose I do not live until then?"

"Then we will get someone else," replied Gasan.

"Suppose you cannot find anyone?" continued Tekisui.

Gasan answered loudly: "Don't ask such foolish questions. Just go to sleep."

--The Real Miracle--

When Bankei was preaching at Ryumon temple, a Shinshu priest, who believed in salvation through repetition of the name of the Buddha of Love, was jealous of his large audience and wanted to debate with him.

Bankei was in the midst of a talk when the priest appeared, but the fellow made such a disturbance that Bankei stopped his discourse and asked about the noise.

"The founder of our sect," boasted the priest, "had such miraculous powers that he held a brush in his hand on one bank of the river, his attendant held up a paper on the other bank, and the teacher wrote the holy name of Amida through the air. Can you do such a wonderful thing?"

Bankei replied lightly: "Perhaps your fox can perform that trick, but that is not the manner of Zen. My miracle is that when I feel hungry I eat, and when I feel thirsty I drink."

--Temper--

A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?"

"You have something very strange," replied Bankei. "Let me see what you have."

"Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other.

"When can you show it to me?" asked Bankei.

"It arises unexpectedly," replied the student.

"Then," concluded Bankei, "it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over."

--True Reformation--

Ryokan devoted his life to the study of Zen. One day he heard that his nephew, despite the admonitions of relatives, was spending his money on a courtesan. Inasmuch as the nephew had taken Ryokan's place in managing the family estate and the property was in danger of being dissipated, the relatives asked Ryoken to do something about it.

Ryokan had to travel a long way to visit his nephew, whom he had not seen for many years. The nephew seemed pleased to meet his uncle again and invited him to remain overnight.

All night Ryokan sat in meditation. As he was departing in the morning he said to the young man: "I must be getting old, my hand shakes so. Will you help me tie the string of my straw sandal?"

The nephew helped him willingly. "Thank you," finished Ryokan, "you see, a man becomes older and feebler day by day. Take good care of yourself." Then Ryokan left, never mentioning a word about the courtesan or the complaints of the relatives. But, from that morning on, the dissipations of the nephew ended.

--Learning to Be Silent--

The pupils of the Tendai School used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence.

On the first day all were silent. Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim one of the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant: "Fix those lamps."

The second pupils was surprised to hear the first one talk. "We are not supposed to say a word," he remarked.

"You two are stupid. Why did you talk?" asked the third.

"I am the only one who has not talked," concluded the fourth pupil.

-- Courage --

“Courage is having a love affair with the unknown.”
~ OSHO ~

----!!!!----

Meditation is not for people who calculate all the risks and possible benefits of getting into a business. Who knows what will be the end result of meditation? Who knows whether the Buddha really got enlightened or it was just his illusion? Who knows whether Buddha was hallucinating? There is no guarantee where meditation will take you. In fact, one thing is sure that a meditator can’t be madly seeking wealth, position and other materialistic things like other worldly people. He will not be jealous, which in sophisticated terms is called ‘Competition’ by society. If you do an additional part time job, you can earn some money. But if you spend that time in meditation, it is not sure what will you get! The cost is huge. But what you gain is not evident at all. In fact Zen masters say that in spite of meditating so long, Buddha didn't achieve anything at all! It is a great risk!!!
ख़यालों में भटक जाना
तेरी यादों में खो जाना |
बहोत महँगा पड़ा हमको
फ़क़त एक तेरा हो जाना ||
(I had to pay a lot for getting lost in your thoughts
And for becoming only yours!)
This is why I say meditation is for gamblers! So if you are not courageous enough then don’t meditate! Ignore Zen. Stay away from it. Then you will definitely save yourself from paying this cost, but will lose the opportunity to experience that ‘unknown’ too!
Zen says, “Only those people, who are ready to go crazy for that unknown, are intelligent. Those who save themselves from taking the risk of meditation, they save themselves, but miss that unknown!”