Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, with Basho's Haikus - Oshorajneesh.com

CHAPTER 5. DON’T BE IDIOT BUDDHASYOU POINT OUT THAT YOU ARE SIMPLY A REFLECTION AND A REMINDER OF OUR OWNINNER EMPTINESS; SO WE BEGIN TO EXPLORE THAT. WE ACTUALLY START ENJOYING,EVEN LOVING THAT SPACE. YOU EXPLAIN THAT THAT TOO HAS TO BE DROPPED.THEN COMES THE FINAL BOMBSHELL: YOU TELL US THAT IN FACT WE HAVE TO BEDROPPED.AND THAT IS THE HARDEST THING.WHAT CAN ONE DO TO DISAPPEAR? CAN WE ONLY BE AWARE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WEPERPETUATE OUR SELVES?Maneesha, it is not the hardest thing. It is the most relaxed, and the easiest thing in the world. Butit is the easiest thing only, for a man who has gone deep in witnessing.I have told you about a king, Prasenjita. It is a small story of great importance....Buddha was staying outside the capital of Prasenjita, and Prasenjita was going to see the master,to present something to him. He tried to find what would be a suitable thing. He had one greatdiamond, of which many kings and emperors were jealous, because there was no comparison tothat diamond. It was like pure water. Its quality was absolutely one hundred percent. He thought,”This will be the best thing to offer to Gautam Buddha’s feet.”His wife was an older disciple of Buddha. Before she married the king, she was already under theinfluence and impact of Buddha.She told her husband, ”You think this beautiful and most valuable diamond will be the right presentfor Buddha? I don’t think so. To him it is just a stone, a dead stone. It will be more beautiful to givea lotus flower or a rose flower – something still alive, something of immense beauty and fragrance.”The kind said, ”Okay, I take the challenge. I will take both, and let us see what Buddha chooses.”So he took both – in one hand the diamond, in the other hand a beautiful lotus flower.First he offered the diamond. Buddha said, ”Drop it!”Now, when Buddha says, ”Drop it!” before ten thousand surrounding sannyasins, even Prasenjitacould not manage... Reluctantly, he dropped it. It was such a valuable a thing.He thought perhaps the wife was right, so he put forward his other hand in which the lotus flowerwas.Buddha said, ”Drop it!”He had not expected this situation, so he dropped the flower also.Now he was standing with empty hands, and Buddha said, ”What are you waiting for? Drop it!”Hyakujo: The Everest of Zen, with Basho’s Haikus 84 Osho