reflections on education, business and spirituality
The new disciple approached the master and said, “I cannot take this any more. You are slowly stripping away all my traditions, all the beliefs I had ingrained in me since childhood. Why are you doing this? I need some solid ground.”
The master replied, “What is the solid ground of the fish swimming in the vastness of the ocean? Or of the migratory bird as it glides across continents?”
After breakfast one day, the master addressed his disciples and said:
“All I do is sit by the riverbank selling river water. And all you fools come, and line up and wait to buy this water, not realizing that any time, you can go to the river and draw water for yourselves.”
A visitor came to the monastery where the master resided. He was amazed at the huge number of monks he saw everywhere. “There must be over two or three thousand of them here,” he thought.
When he was finally ushered in to see the master, the first question he asked was, “Revered sir, exactly how many disciples do you have in this place?”
The master replied, “Oh, I think around four or five at the most.”
“Master,” said the disciple. “Is there life after death?”
“Why do you ask?” said the master.
“I was just thinking how horrible it would be not to love or laugh or sing or dream,” said the disciple.
The master laughed. “Most people don’t even do those things before death. Or if they do, they do them only superficially. The right question is, ‘Is there life before death?'”
A man once approached the Master and said, “Your teachings are radical and thought-provoking but I cannot find them in the Scriptures.”
“Then put them in there,” replied the Master.
“But some of your teachings even go as far as contradicting some passages of Scriptures,” replied the man.
“Then amend the scriptures,” replied the Master. “Scripture was made for man, not man for scripture.”