Well, some years back I found myself in an interesting situation where I felt deeply like God was working through me.

I was at away for the weekend attending a spiritual workshop with The Diamond Approach and I had just finished lunch. There was a cupcake place nearby, and I found myself really wanting a chocolate cupcake.

Upon arriving at the cupcake shop, there were a lot of cupcakes.

(sort of)

See, the woman head of me bought a couple dozen cupcakes, including the last of the…

Chocolate.

There had been several. Then in a flash right before my eyes, they were gone!

What remained after her shopping spree were a small handful of few mini cupcakes, so I bought two: One red velvet, and of course one chocolate. ??

As I walked outside, there was a homeless man sitting on a bench.

Not only was he homeless, he was clearly mentally ill (as a very significant number of homeless people unfortunately are).

He looked up at me as though to ask for change, and though the words didn't quite come out right…

It was clear he was asking for help.

My heart opened and I felt so much compassion and I wanted to give him a little bit of money.

Except that my hands were full with a cupcake in each.

Rather than ignoring him…

(as many people would have)

And rather than fumbling with cupcakes and pockets and wallets to get him some change as I initially felt compelled to do…

I looked him heartfully in the eye and simply asked:

“Which one do you want?”

His reply…

“Chocolate.”

Without hesitation, I handed it to him.

And the look of wonder in his eye…

And the childlike innocent joyful smile on his face…

Made it all worth it.

I was reminded of something that Nick Vujicic said when I heard him speak in Portland many years ago:

“When God doesn't grant your miracles… remember you are the miracle he sent for somebody else.”

To me, the cupcake was a small thing. To that man, it may have very well been a small miracle.

The post God, Cupcakes, and a Homeless Man – By Chris Cade appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

A year has past, he thought to himself. Four seasons I have sat outside this cave.

When the spear had been fashioned, Narada walked to the entrance of the cave.

“Mother Pig,” he yelled into the cave.

There was no response.

Narada walked into the cave’s dark mouth. Inside he saw a pig nursing five piglets.

“It’s time to go,” yelled Narada.

The pig and piglets ignored him.

Narada then began waving his wooden spear violently. The five piglets squealed, bolted upright and ran out the cave… but the mother remained.

“I will not go,” said the pig. “Why did you send my family away? I loved them so very much. Why have you done this to me, you cruel man?”

“Leave this cave,” pleaded Narada.

“No,” said the pig. “Leave me alone. I’ve done no one any harm. I only want to live in this cave until I die.”

“So be it,” said Narada.

Narada quickly brought his spear down on the pig, piercing her through the belly. The pig yelled in pain. Blood leaked onto the floor.

“Why?” said the pig. “Why have you done this to me?” She squealed once more and went limp

Narada fell to his knees, tears streaming. He remembered how one year earlier he had stood outside the same cave speaking to Lord Vishnu…

“How can you expect humanity to ever find freedom from the wheel of birth and death?” he had said to Vishnu.

Vishnu had smiled. “God consciousness is so satisfying — it is far more tempting than material reality.”

“Yes,” Narada had replied, “but when all people know is the taste of matter, how can you expect them to want anything more?”

Vishnu then had become quiet. Finally he had spoken: “Possibly this illusion of material reality is too strong. But I am not sure.”

“Then why don’t you test it out on yourself?” Narada had replied with a tinge of anger in his voice.

“Very well,” Vishnu had said. “I will become a pig and start a family.”

“What?” Narada replied in shock.

“I will live in this cave for one year as a pig,” Vishnu repeated. “After one year, you shall come and get me. If I refuse to leave then you need to kill me.”

“My Lord?” Narada had said in horror. “Please no…”

But it was too late. Vishnu had already transformed himself into a mother pig who violently discharged Narada from her cave.

One year later, Narada now cried over the corpse of that same mother pig. When his anguish had become so great he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Vishnu standing above him, radiant and smiling.

“Thank you, Narada,” said Vishnu. “I was so happy being that mother pig that I forgot what I really am. Though painful and unwanted, thrusting that spear through my belly freed me from the illusion that I was content just being a pig.”

“It hurt me so to do so,” said Narada. “I didn’t want to harm you.”

“It hurts me also to bring suffering upon my children,” said Vishnu. “But such is how it must be. As you say, my delusion is too strong.”

The author of this spiritual story is unknown and greatly appreciated!

The post Why Do Good People Die? A Spiritual Story About Karma appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

One day a school teacher wrote the following:
9×1=7
9×2=18
9×3=27
9×4=36
9×5=45
9×6=54
9×7=63
9×8=72
9×9=81
9×10=90

When she was done, she looked to the students and they were all laughing at her, because of the first equation which was wrong, and then the teacher said the following;

“I wrote that first one wrong on purpose, because I wanted you to learn something important. This was for you to know how the world out there will treat you.

“You can see that I wrote RIGHT 9 times, but none of you congratulated me for it. But you all laughed and criticized me because of one wrong thing I did.

“The world is quick to criticize and find fault, and much slower to find the positive. Don't get discouraged. Rise above it all, hold your head high and stay strong.”

If you want help holding your head high, even when the world is trying to bring you down, join one of our free online spiritual healing workshops.

The post This Bad Math Teaches Us All An Invaluable Lesson About Life – Share It appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

Just make sure you watch until the very end! 🙂

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I admired Ben Zander long before I met him or invited him to guest lecture to my students at Columbia Business School and London Business School.

I first used him as an example in one of my marketing courses. Ben was the conductor of a prestigious orchestra and so passionate about the power of music to elevate souls that he offered an unusual guarantee. “You will be moved by my concert, or I will refund your ticket.”

Orchestras do not offer refunds to patrons who do not like a performance. So, the money came from Ben’s personal funds. In the many years he offered this guarantee only a handful took him up on it. I used this as an example of innovative marketing.

It is also a reflection of the kind of person Ben is and how different his thinking is from the norm.

In the music world, the conductor is God and musicians all but genuflect before him – they used to be mostly men. If a first violinist made an error the conductor’s normal reaction would be “Off with her head” and a new body would replace the errant performer.

When such an event occurred with Ben, his reaction was, “What am I doing wrong that my first violinist, who is terribly talented, cannot play her best and makes a mistake like this?”

I learnt a valuable lesson when I invited Ben Zander to speak to my class at London Business School.

Ben learned that it was the birthday of one of the students and insisted that it be celebrated. Someone procured a cake and someone else got hold of a wilted candle and we lit the candle and put it on the cake and the embarrassed birthday girl blew out the candle and we all sang “Happy Birthday”.

It was well intentioned but perfunctory and over in minutes.

I am sure that you have seen something similar many times at work and elsewhere.

Ben stood observing on the sideline.

He did not utter a word of criticism. He did not say, “No! No! No! You dummies! You are doing it all wrong.”

He simply said, “Let’s try this again.”

He urged us to put ourselves into the singing. The candle was relit and went back on the cake and Ben put it before the student and gazed into her eyes and held her hands as he led the class in a heartfelt chorus of “Happy Birthday”.

“That’s how you do it,” said Ben.

Everybody understood what he meant. We all felt the difference.

And here is my question to you: What are you doing desultorily that you could do with mindful care? Would it bring more meaning into your life and that of others? Why aren’t you doing it?

This article and spiritual story is from Professor Srikumar S. Rao. You can learn directly from him during his free masterclass “A System To Totally Eradicate Stress & Anxiety.”

Click here to register for Professor Rao’s free masterclass

The post A Lesson From A Student’s Birthday – Spiritual Story by Srikumar Rao appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

His father was a village clerk, and his first school was an open spot under a tree. Their circumstances were straitened, and resources of any kind were never wasted. In one interview, Dr. Khorana confessed that it distressed him when his children pushed away half-drunk glasses of milk and thought nothing of it.

It is quite common for parents to enjoin their children to finish eating their food by telling them that there are starving children in many parts of the world. A litterateur, who faced this in younger days, wrote a scathing essay about the practice. He pointed out, logically, that whether he cleaned his plate made no difference to any starving child anywhere in the world. That food would never get to that hungry youngster.

He is correct. He also misses the point.

This is not about the starving children. It is about raising your consciousness and making you aware that there are starving children and there is inequality in the world and not everyone is as fortunate as you and food should not be wasted. If you feel bloated, then perhaps you will take less on your plate the next time.

And, some day, this raised consciousness may lead you to do something that addresses the issue of global hunger.

Who knows?

Bear this in mind the next time you enjoin your children to finish their food.

This article and spiritual story is from Professor Srikumar S. Rao. You can learn directly from him during his free masterclass “A System To Totally Eradicate Stress & Anxiety.”

Click here to register for Professor Rao’s free masterclass

The post Drink Your Milk Because There are Children Starving in Africa! – A Spiritual Story By Srikumar Rao appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

He asked Nagarjuna, “Can you help me? Can I get rid of my stealing? Can I also become as silent and blissful as you are?” It happened in a certain context.

Nagarjuna was the greatest alchemist that the East has given birth to. He used to live naked, with just a begging bowl, a wooden begging bowl, but kings worshiped him, queens worshiped him.

He came to the capital and the queen touched his feet and said, “I feel very much offended by your wooden bowl. You are a master of masters; hundreds of kings and queens are your followers. I have prepared a golden bowl for you, studded with beautiful diamonds, emeralds. Please don’t reject it — it will wound me very much, it will hurt me very much. For three years great artists have been working on it, now it is ready.”

She was afraid that Nagarjuna might say, “I cannot touch gold, I have renounced the world.” But Nagarjuna did not say anything like that; he said, “Okay! You can keep my begging bowl, give me the golden one.”

Even the queen was a little shocked. She was thinking that Nagarjuna would say, “I cannot accept it.” She wanted him to accept it, but still, deep in her unconscious somewhere was the old

Indian tradition that the awakened one has to live in poverty, in discomfort, as if discomfort and poverty have something spiritual in them. There is nothing spiritual in them.

Nagarjuna said okay. He didn’t even look at the golden bowl. He went away. The thief saw Nagarjuna moving outside the capital, because he was staying in a ruined temple on the other bank of the river. The thief said, “Such a precious thing I have never seen — so many diamonds, so many emeralds, so much gold. I have seen many beautiful things in my life but never such a thing, and how did this naked man get hold of it, and how is he going to protect it? Anybody will be able to take it away from him, so why not me?”

The thief followed Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna heard his footsteps, he knew somebody was coming behind him.

Nagarjuna reached the temple. The temple was an absolute ruin, no roof, no doors; just a few walls were left. He went inside a room without a roof, without a door, without windows.

The thief said, “How is he going to protect such a precious thing? It is only a question of hours.” He sat outside the window, hiding behind a wall.

Nagarjuna threw the bowl outside the window. The thief was very much puzzled. The bowl fell just near his feet. He was puzzled: “What has this man done?” He could not believe his eyes, he was also shocked. He stood up — even though he was a thief, he was a master thief and he had some dignity. He thanked Nagarjuna. He said, “Sir, I have to show my gratitude. But you are a rare man — throwing out such a precious thing as if it is nothing. Can I come inside and touch your feet?”

Nagarjuna said, “Come in! In fact I have thrown the bowl out so that you could come in.”

The thief could not understand what he was saying; he came in, he looked at Nagarjuna — his silence, his peace, his bliss — he was overwhelmed. He said, “I feel jealous of you. I have never come across a man like you. Compared to you, all others are subhuman beings. How integrated you are! How gone beyond the world! Is there any possibility for me too one day to attain such integration, such individuality, such compassion and such nonattachment to things?”

Nagarjuna said, “It is possible. It is everybody’s potential.”

But the thief said, “Wait! Let me tell you one thing. I have been many times to many saints and they all know me and they say, ‘First you stop stealing, then anything else is possible. Without stopping stealing you cannot grow spiritually.’ So please don’t make that condition because that I cannot do. It is impossible. I have tried and I have failed many times. It seems that is my nature — I have to go on stealing, so don’t mention that. Let me tell you first so you don’t make it a condition.”

Nagarjuna said, “That simply shows you have never seen a saint before. Those must have all been ex-thieves; otherwise why should they be worried about your stealing? Go on stealing and do everything as skillfully as possible. It is good to be a master of any art.”

The thief was shocked even more: “What kind of man is this?” And he said, “Then what do you suggest? What is right, what is wrong?”

He said, “I don’t say anything is right or anything is wrong. Do one thing: if you want to steal, steal — but steal consciously. Go tonight, enter into the house very alert, open the doors, the locks, but very consciously. And then if you can steal, steal, but remain conscious. And report to me after seven days.”

After seven days the thief came, bowed down, touched Nagarjuna’s feet and said, “Now initiate me into sannyas.”

Nagarjuna said, “Why? What about your stealing?”

He said, “You are a cunning fellow! I tried my best: if I am conscious, I cannot steal; if I steal I am unconscious. I can steal only when I am unconscious. When I am conscious the whole thing seems so stupid, so meaningless. What am I doing? For what? Tomorrow I may die. And why do I go on accumulating wealth? I have more than I need; even for generations it is enough. It looks so meaningless that I stop immediately. For seven days I have entered into houses and come out empty-handed. And to be conscious is so beautiful. I have tasted it for the first time, and it is just a small taste — now I can conceive how much you must be enjoying, how much you must be celebrating. Now I know that you are the real king — naked, but you are the real king. Now I know that you have real gold and we are playing with false gold.”

The thief became a disciple of Nagarjuna and attained to buddhahood.

Osho: The Dhammapada – The Way of the Buddha

If you liked this story, you'll love this! We've compiled a list of the top spiritual stories that our readers love. You can read them here.

What Is the Spiritual Moral / Meaning of the “Nagarjuna and the Thief” Story?

At its core, this story isn't about the dichotomy of right and wrong, nor is it about the triumph of righteousness over wrongdoing. It delves deeper into the realms of human consciousness, inviting us to explore the intricate layers of awareness and the subtleties of perception.

In the journey of the thief seeking guidance from Nagarjuna, we witness a reflection of our own internal struggles. It's a portrayal of the human condition, where the dichotomy between our actions and our consciousness creates a profound inner conflict.

The master, Nagarjuna, embodies a profound wisdom—an understanding that surpasses conventional morality. He doesn't impose judgments or conditions but offers a path illuminated by consciousness. He doesn't condemn the thief's actions but encourages a conscious approach, inviting the thief to explore the depths of his own consciousness.

This story carries within it the essence of spiritual growth—a journey from unconsciousness to consciousness. It reveals that the true transformation lies not in the external acts but in the awakening of consciousness itself. The thief, driven by habitual unconsciousness, finds himself caught in a dilemma where his actions conflict with his newfound consciousness.

In the thief's journey, we witness the revelation of consciousness. As he attempts to steal consciously, he experiences a profound shift. Consciousness brings forth an awareness that renders his actions meaningless and absurd. In that moment of awakened awareness, he transcends the allure of material possessions, recognizing the futility of his pursuits.

The thief's realization is not merely an awakening but a transformation—a shedding of layers that shroud true understanding. He experiences a glimpse of the profound joy and freedom that consciousness brings—a joy far surpassing the lure of material wealth.

Ultimately, this story encapsulates the spiritual journey—a passage from darkness to light, from unconsciousness to consciousness. It doesn't merely advocate for the cessation of actions but emphasizes the transformative power of consciousness itself. It teaches us that true spiritual growth isn't about adhering to external norms but about delving into the depths of our own consciousness.

Nagarjuna doesn't condemn or judge the thief's actions but offers a doorway to self-realization—a realization that transcends the superficial constructs of right and wrong, leading to an awakening that liberates the soul.

The thief's transformation into a disciple and his attainment of buddhahood symbolize the ultimate triumph of consciousness over unconsciousness. It illustrates that the true treasure lies not in the accumulation of external wealth but in the richness of an awakened consciousness—an awareness that illuminates the path towards spiritual fulfillment and inner peace.

The post Nagarjuna and the Thief – A Zen Buddhist Spiritual Story by Osho appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

Hanyatara came to the court with an attendant. The king was thrilled; it was his dream for his whole life one day to have a Buddha in his court, in his palace. The whole palace was decorated, the whole town was decorated; the whole capital was celebrating. It was a great day of celebration. But the king was puzzled, a little bewildered: Hanyatara sat silently, not saying a single word, and the attendant recited the sutra. Now, this was not the purpose at all. The king could have found better people to recite the sutra than the attendant. He was just an attendant who looked after Hanyatara, just used to do small errands, a very ordinary man, not even a great scholar. His grammar was faulty; his pronunciation was not exactly as it should be. He was an ordinary man.

Just out of respect, the king kept silent. When the sutra was finished, he touched the feet of Hanyatara and said, “Sir, enlighten me about this; otherwise I will remain puzzled. Why did not YOU recite the sutra?”

And Hanyatara said, “What, I did not recite the sutra? Then what else was I doing the whole time here? You fool!”

The king was even more puzzled, because he had kept quiet; he had not said a single word. The king said, “Please, explain it to me. I don’t understand. I am an ordinary, ignorant person. I may not know the ways of the Buddhas.”

And Hanyatara said, “I sat silently, breathing in, breathing out. That was my sutra. What else is there in life? Breathe in, breathe out. Be alert, aware. When I breathed in, I was aware; when I breathed out, I was aware. It was all awareness! What else is a sutra? Awareness. If you had listened to the rhythm of my breathing you would have understood. I have recited it! Words are one way to recite it. Breathing silently, but with full awareness, is another way to recite it — and far better a way. I have been very expressive today, as I have never been before. Thinking that you have been waiting for so long, I thought, ‘Why not give the real thing?’ ”

The king was thrilled, seeing the compassion. Now he felt there was a certain rhythm in his silence. Now he became aware, retrospectively of course, that this man was not silent in the ordinary way. He had seen silent people; sometimes he himself had sat in silence. This was a different silence. There was a song, certainly there was a song. There was a fragrance around this man. There was a vibe of a different quality; he was vibrating. Strange it was, but now he remembered, yes, it was there. And the way he was breathing was no ordinary way. Not that he was doing anything special in the breathing: his breathing was pure, natural, like a small baby.

When you breathe, your breathing is never natural. If you are a little angry, your anger changes your breathing. If you are full of passion, lust, your lust changes your breathing. If you are greedy, your greed is reflected in your breathing. Continuously your mind mood infiltrates breathing and changes it. You can watch it. When you are angry, try not to disturb the breathing, and you will be completely unable to be angry. Just try not to change the breathing. Let the breathing remain as it was before you became angry, and then try to be angry. It will be impossible. The breathing has to change first. Through the breathing the body changes; the mind first affects the breathing. When you are in a moment of lust, watch, keep the breathing natural, and you will suddenly find the lust has disappeared, the moment came and passed.

By and by you will be able to see each mood is reflected in your breathing, so your breathing is never natural, because there is some mood or other. The natural breathing means there is no mood: that means there is no mind — neither anger nor greed nor lust nor jealousy nor love nor hate. No — mood means no-mind. In that state of no-mind the breathing is natural. Then there is a song to it, then there is a totally different quality to it. Then it is pure life. Then the flame is without smoke.

Yes, the king remembered, there was something strange, something was happening. He had missed it. He started crying. He said, “I have missed it. Why didn’t you tell me before? Now I know there was something, and I had even felt it, but my consciousness is not so developed, so I could not understand what was happening.

“And I was too concerned about that foolish sutra. I was continuously thinking about why you were not reciting the sutra and why this attendant was reciting the sutra. I was so much concerned about the sutra that I missed.

“But I am grateful that you showed such compassion, that you showed your being so naked, so true, so authentic.”

Story 2 : No ordinary diamond

He presented a great diamond, the most valuable he had, to Hanyatara, and then he said to Hanyatara, “I have three sons. Sir, be kind enough. I will call them. Bless them.”

Thinking that young people are young people, and the youngest was only seven, they may disturb the sutra reciting; he had not called them to participate before.

The three young princes came in.

Rather than blessing them, Hanyatara showed the diamond that the king had presented to him to the first prince, the eldest. He must have been somewhere near fifteen. The prince looked at the diamond and said, “A great diamond, of the finest water, purest water. Where could you get it? It is rare. It is no ordinary diamond.”

Yes, his understanding about the diamond was perfectly true. It was a rare diamond, of the most perfect water. Even Hanyatara had never seen such a thing.

Then he called the second prince, who must have been near about ten, and the second prince looked at the diamond, and he said, “Not only the finest, not only the best, it is certain that it belongs to my father because in this kingdom nobody can have such a diamond. It is rare. Sir, it does not belong to you, it cannot. To protect this diamond you will need a great army, otherwise you cannot have it. Just this attendant won’t do.”

Yes, his understanding was also very correct.

And then the third son was called. He was only seven. He looked at the diamond, looked at Hanyatara, and laughed and said, “What? Do you want to befool me?” He was only seven, and he said, “Do you want to befool me? You cannot! Because the real diamonds are never of the outside. And what are you trying to show me? You have the real diamond within YOU. I can see it! This is just a stone that you have in your hand. Throw it, sir!”

And it is said that Hanyatara hugged this small boy.

This boy’s name was Bodhitara, and Hanyatara changed his name to Bodhidharma. He became the twenty-eighth successor of Buddha; he was the first patriarch of Zen in China, this small boy Bodhitara, whose name Hanyatara changed to Bodhidharma.

Hanyatara said, “This boy has looked into the deepest reality anybody can look into. DHARMA means’the ultimate reality’. He has penetrated to the ultimate reality.” He said to the king, “Even you could not see who I am. That’s why you missed my sermon, my silent sermon. That’s why you missed my silent song. I was singing here but you missed. But this boy, yes, I cannot befool him. This boy is going to be my successor.”

And then he said to the king, “Sir, forgive me. I have not come for you and I have not come because you requested me to. I had to come because of this boy. I have been in search of this boy! This has been a promise from the past life, and this has been a decided gesture: in the past life I told this boy,’I will seek you and find you and I will show you a diamond, and that will be the moment of your examination. If you can see my inner diamond and you are not befooled, you will be my successor.'”

The legend is of tremendous value. First, the silent sermon. Yes, sometimes a mystic can be silent — but he is not silent! His silence is a very telling silence. He may not do anything, he may not even move his eyes, he may not move any of his limbs, but still his presence goes on doing a thousand and one things. Just to be in his presence, just to breathe with him in the same rhythm, and something is transferred: his song, his silence, his dance. You will never be the same again.

Osho – “The First Principle”

The post No Ordinary Diamond – A Zen Buddhist Spiritual Story by Osho appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

He became convinced of the truth of Gautam Buddha’s teachings, but the people who had brought the message of Buddha were scholars. None of them were mystics. And then the news came that Bodhidharma was coming, and there was a great thrill all over the land. Because Emperor Wu had become influenced by Gautam Buddha, that had made his whole empire influenced by the same teaching. And now a real mystic, a buddha, was coming. It was such a great joy!

Emperor Wu had never before come to the boundaries where India and China meet to receive anyone. With great respect he welcomed Bodhidharma, and he asked , “I have been asking all the monks and the scholars who have been coming, but nobody has been of any help — I have tried everything. But how to get rid of this self? And Buddha says, `Unless you become a no-self, your misery cannot end.'”

He was sincere. Bodhidharma looked into his eyes, and he said, “I will be staying by the side of the river near the mountain in the temple. Tomorrow morning, at four o’clock exactly, you come and I will finish this self forever. But remember, you are not to bring any arms with you, any guards with you; you have to come alone.”

Wu was a little worried — the man was strange! “How can he just destroy my self so quickly? It takes — it has been told by the scholars — lives and lives of meditation; then the self disappears. This man is weird! And he is wanting me in the darkness, early in the morning at four o’clock, alone, even without a sword, no guards, no other companion. This man seems to be strange — he could do anything.

And what does he mean that he will kill the self forever? He can kill me, but how will he kill the self?”

The whole night he could not sleep. He changed his mind again and again — to go or not to go? But there was something in the man’s eyes, and there was something in his voice, and there was some aura of authority when he said, “Just come at four o’clock sharp, and I will finish this self forever! You need not be worried about it.”

What he said looked absurd, but the way he said it, and the way he looked were so authoritative: he knows what he is saying. Finally Wu had to decide to go. He decided to risk, “At the most he can kill me — what else? And I have tried everything. I cannot attain this no-self, and without attaining this no-self there is no end to misery.”

He knocked on the temple door, and Bodhidharma said, “I knew you would come; I knew also that the whole night you would be changing your mind. But that does not matter — you have come. Now sit down in the lotus posture, close your eyes, and I am going to sit in front of you.

“The moment you find, inside, your self, catch hold of it so I can kill it. Just catch hold of it tightly and tell me that you have caught it, and I will kill it and it will be finished. It is a question of minutes.”

Wu was a little afraid. Bodhidharma looked like a madman; he is painted like a madman — he was not like that, but the paintings are symbolic. That’s the impression he must have left on people. It was not his real face, but that must be the face that people were remembering.

He was sitting with his big staff in front of Wu, and he said to him, “Don’t miss a second. Just the moment you catch hold of it — search inside every nook and corner — open your eyes and then tell me that you have caught it, and I will finish it.”

Then there was silence. One hour passed, two hours passed and the sun was rising, and Wu was a different man. In those two hours he looked inside himself, in every nook and corner. He had to look — that man was sitting there; he could have hit him on his head with his staff.

You could expect anything; whatever…. He was not a man of etiquette, manner; he was not part of Wu’s court, so he had to look intently, intensively. And as he looked, he became relaxed, because it was nowhere. And in looking for it, all thoughts disappeared. The search was so intense that his whole energy was involved in it; there was nothing left to think and desire, and this and that.

As the sun was rising Bodhidharma saw Wu’s face; he was not the same man — such silence, such depth. He had disappeared. Bodhidharma shook him and told him, “Open your eyes — it is not there. I don’t have to kill it. I am a nonviolent man, I don’t kill anything! But this self does not exist. Because you never look at it, it goes on existing. It is in your not looking for it, in your unawareness, that it exists. Now it is gone.”

Two hours had passed, and Wu was immensely glad. He had never tasted such sweetness, such freshness, such newness, such beauty. And he was not.

Bodhidharma had fulfilled his promise. Emperor Wu bowed down, touched his feet and said, “Please forgive me thinking that you are mad, thinking that you don’t know manners, thinking that you you are weird, thinking that you you can be dangerous. I have never seen a more compassionate man than you… I am totally fulfilled. Now there is no question in me.”

Emperor Wu said that when he died, on his grave, the memorial, Bodhidharma’s statement should be engraved in gold, for the people in centuries to come to know…”There was a man who looked mad, but who was capable of doing miracles. Without doing anything he helped me to be a non-self. And since then everything has changed. Everything is the same but I am not the same, and life has become just a pure song of silence.”

Osho – “Beyond Psychology”

The post Self And No-Self – A Zen Buddhist Spiritual Story by Osho appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

There is a story in the life of Buddha: When Buddha reached heaven and the guard opened the door, Buddha turned his back to heaven. He said, “I will not enter until each and every person is liberated. When the last person enters I will follow behind him.”

This is a beautiful story. In this world there are two types of self-realized persons, and all religions have known these two kinds. One attains self-realization and becomes one with the void; the other type attains self-realization but still remains in existence to help others. The first type of enlightened person is called kaivalya, he who has known the ultimate aloneness, by the Jainas. There have been so many kaivalyas who have attained enlightenment and have disappeared into the void. They have reached their destination. They enter and don’t wait at the door.

The Jainas have named twenty-four of these enlightened souls, ‘tirthankaras’. These twenty-four waited at the door. They are the ones who guided others, who paved the way for them. The Buddhists have also recognized these two types. One is the arhat, who attains self-realization and merges into the void; the other is the bodhisattva, the one who waits for others.

So there are two kinds of self-realized souls. When you also reach this ultimate state, if a desire to help others — for the urge to help others is also a desire — remains within you, you will wait. If it does not, you will merge with the void. This is why the true master tries to develop those of his disciples who have the greatest capacity for compassion into bodhisattvas.

Osho – The Great Path

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