Teaching story
Teaching story
Right and wrong
Bankei, a Japanese Rinzai Zen master, used to hold seclusion-weeks of meditation. Pupils from many parts of Japan would come to attend it. During one of these gatherings, a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. However, instead of entertaining the request, Bankei simply ignored the case.
Later, the same pupil was caught in a similar act, and again, Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave, en masse.
When Bankei read the petition, he called everyone before him and addressed all of them. “Borthers, you all are wise,” he told them, adding, “You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. The desire to steal vanished from within him.
Adi Shankaracharya
This, I know
What is enquiry into the truth? It is the firm conviction that the Self is real, and all, other than that, is unreal.
Do not fritter away your mental energies in thoughts of friendship or enmity. Seeking the Self everywhere, be amiable and treat all alike.
The world, like a dream full of attachments and aversions, seems real until the awakening.
To be free from bondage, the wise person must practise discrimination between one-self and the ego-self. By that alone you will become full of joy, recognising Self as pure being, consciousness, and bliss.
Where renunciation and longing for liberation are weak, tranquillity and the other virtues are a mere appearance, like the mirage in the desert.
Just for laughs
Tiger powder
Nasruddin was busy sprinkling crumbs on the ground around his house.
A neighbour saw him and asked, “Nasruddin, what are you doing?”
“I want to keep tigers away,” he replied.
“But there aren’t any tigers within a 50 kilometre radius from here!” the neighbour retorted. “Yes,” said Nasruddin,“thanks to my powder.”
Inspiration
I am realising…
I am learning that
None of us is perfect in body and mind,
Yet everyone is perfect and complete within…
As we are all ‘One’ heart
Part of whole Divine.
I am learning to accept and deal with my darkest emotions,
Not to resist or be ashamed of them,
As they are a part of me.
I am learning to transcend tiring thoughts by channelising them creatively.
I am learning to reshape my thoughts and redefine myself.
I beautify myself and
Cover my flaws, fearing judgements.
Yet sometimes, I confidently express my inner self, flaws and all.
I am still struggling
Yet I am learning to
Be kind to myself unconditionally
I am realising
I am learning
I am unlearning…
—Srikala Ganapathy
one-minute wisdom
Not one, not two
“How does one seek union with God?”
“The harder you seek, the more distance you create between Him and you.”
“So what does one do about the distance?”
“Understand that it isn’t there.”
“Does that mean that God and I are one?”
“Not one. Not two.”
“How is that possible?”
“The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and his song. Not one. Not two.”
Quote:- God does not work by only one method, paint in only one colour, play in only one key, nor does he make only one star shine onto the earth. —Eberhard Arnold