Inspirational Stories of Enlightenment

8/8/2019 Inspirational Stories of Enlightenment

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InspirationalStoriesOf

Enlightenment

Compiled by

Ashwani Thakurwww.ashwanithakur.com


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Index

About the author About the book Message to the Readers

a. The Bell Teacherb. Destinyc. What Is Egod. The Four Monkse. The Greatest Teachingf. I Don't Knowg. Is That Soh. It Will Passi. I Wish I could Be...j. Meditation and Lazinessk.No More Questionsl. Ritualm.Spidern. Air Or Godo. Who Is Shri Mataji?p. What Is Enlightenment?q. Fearless


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r. Empty Your Minds. Nature Of Thingst. Burn the Books

2007 by Ashwani Thakur.


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About the author

Who?

Ashwani Thakur is a Writer, Music composer and

Filmmaker.

Where?

Lives in Delhi (India)

When?

Born on 7th June 1983

How?

By the guidance of Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi

Contact?

Website: www.ashwanithakur.com

Email: [email protected] or

[email protected]


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About the book

The purpose of making this book was to guide the readersas I was guided.

Enlightenment is away from words. In fact words make a

web across a human being. The more one tries to use the

mind the less is the chance of being enlightened.

But to cross the river of illusion one needs the help of the

boat made of words. These words can guide the seeker togo ahead towards enlightenment. And for those who are

already Enlightened, these words of wisdom can help them

from falling down.

This is the reason for the creation of this book. It is filled

with some famous Inspirational Zen Stories with their

meaning.


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Message to the readers:

The ultimate goal of a human being is to get hisEnlightenment. Till the time a man is not enlightened, he

lives in illusion. The only path to Enlightenment is through

the path of Meditation. In my search of Enlightenment, I

follow the path of Buddha. The path is now called Sahaja

Yoga The Maha Yoga.

Before Buddha attained Enlightenment, he tried to meditate

without serving the body. When he was starving, shakti

came and gave him food. The Shakti is back again to show

the middle path. The Shakti is now called Nirmala The

purest.


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The Bell Teacher

A new student approached the Zen master and asked howhe should prepare himself for his training. "Think of me a

bell," the master explained. "Give me a soft tap, and you

will get a tiny ping. Strike hard, and you'll receive a loud,

resounding peal."

Meaning:

Here the Teacher wants to convey a message that its up to

the student, how much he wants to get in return from him.

The more he is eager to learn he will be able to get. This

also proves that if there are 10 students of one teacher. The

teacher will be ready to give his best to all but the output

for every student depends on the effort of that very student


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Destiny

During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to

attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He

was confident they would win, but his men were filled with

doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious

shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a

coin and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we

shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal

itself."

He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as itlanded. It was heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and

filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the

enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant

remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."

"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the

lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.

Meaning

It happens with us everyday. Due to our fear we try to rely

on destiny. If someone tells that destiny is with us than we

become so confident. No mantra, no gem or any so called

divine device can help us. Its only our faith which helps.


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What is Ego

The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national

hero for his success as both a statesman and military leader.

But despite his fame, power, and wealth, he considered

himself a humble and devout Buddhist. Often he visited his

favorite Zen master to study under him, and they seemed to

get along very well. The fact that he was prime minister

apparently had no effect on their relationship, which

seemed to be simply one of a revered master and respectful

student.One day, during his usual visit, the Prime Minister asked

the master, "Your Reverence, what is egotism according to

Buddhism?" The master's face turned red, and in a very

condescending and insulting tone of voice, he shot back,

"What kind of stupid question is that!?"

This unexpected response so shocked the Prime Minister

that he became sullen and angry. The Zen master thensmiled and said, "THIS, Your Excellency, is egotism."

Meaning

The best way to learn something is not by having it

explained to you, but by EXPERIENCING it yourself. This

is a very interesting and commmon way how Zen Masters

try to explain things to the seeker.


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Four Monks

Four monks decided to meditate silently without speakingfor two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle

began to flicker and then went out. The first monk said,

"Oh, no! The candle is out." The second monk said, "Aren't

we not suppose to talk?" The third monk said, "Why must

you two break the silence?" The fourth monk laughed and

said, "Ha! I'm the only one who didn't speak."

Meaning:

This story tells us about the four kinds of people. One does

something wrong and is also found guilty. And other three

also follow him to do the same thing in different way,

thinking that they are on the right path. The one who is

enlightened will not do the mistake and also will never

criticize the doer.


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The Greatest Teaching

A renowned Zen master said that his greatest teaching was

this: Buddha is your own mind. So impressed by how

profound this idea was, one monk decided to leave the

monastery and retreat to the wilderness to meditate on this

insight. There he spent 20 years as a hermit probing the

great teaching.

One day he met another monk who was traveling through

the forest. Quickly the hermit monk learned that the

traveler also had studied under the same Zen master."Please, tell me what you know of the master's greatest

teaching." The traveler's eyes lit up, "Ah, the master has

been very clear about this. He says that his greatest

teaching is this: Buddha is NOT your own mind."

Meaning:

"Buddha is in your mind and Buddha is not in your mind",

both these phrases are right and both these phrases are

wrong. The greatest teaching of the master is that there is

nothing like greatest teaching. The monk who devoted 20

years on the former and the monk, who understood the

later, both misunderstood the master. Both have limited

themselves.

We have so many religions, spiritual organizations and

cults now a days. All have their own way and no way is

perfect. Stop wasting your energy on any so called

knowledge as no knowledge is perfect. Knowledge comes


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from mind and mind is imperfect. The same mind which

says "this is right" will say "this is wrong". The story

named Burn the Books tells the same thing.


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I Don't Know

The emperor, who was a devout Buddhist, invited a great

Zen master to the Palace in order to ask him questions

about Buddhism. "What is the highest truth of the holy

Buddhist doctrine?" the emperor inquired.

"Vast emptiness... and not a trace of holiness," the master

replied.

"If there is no holiness," the emperor said, "then who or

what are you?"

"I do not know," the master replied.

Meaning:

Yet another short story with a great message. This story is

enough to make a seeker Enlightened. The Emperor was

asking questions, he thought that the knowledge makes a

person Holy. To destroy his illusion the master educated

that one has to be unaware of knowledge and holiness. Itdoes not mean he is talking about impure knowledge or

unholiness. He is talking about No knowledge and No

Holiness. Just Emptiness, Vast Emptiness.


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Is That So

A beautiful unmarried girl in the village was pregnant. Her

angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At

first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl

finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone

previously revered for living such a pure life. When the

outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's

accusation, he(Hakuin) simply replied "Is that so?"

When the child was born, the parents brought it to Hakuin,

who now was viewed as a false Guru by the whole village.They demanded that he take care of the child since it was

his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he

accepted the child.

For many months he took very good care of the child until

the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told.

She confessed that the real father was a young man in the

village whom she had tried to protect. The parentsimmediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the

baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had

happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the

child.

Meaning:

There is no meaning of this story as its not a story its a realincident. It tells us about how perfect the Zen master was.

He never regretted anything and accepted everything that

was good or bad. Also what we see in this incident is that

Hakuin was not asked if he is guilty or not. He was angrily


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assaulted. He was aware that the truth will automatically

hide the lie and was waiting for it it to happen without any

effort.


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It will pass

A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My

meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache,

or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!"

"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.

A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My

meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so

alive! It's just wonderful!'

"It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.

Meaning:

This is another story where the teacher is playing with

words to explain the fact. Here what the teacher wants to

convey is that meditation is not about good or bad

experience. In this way the disciple is trying to do

meditation and when one tries to do something than the

experience varies(sometimes good and sometimes bad andit will continue). One should not do Meditation, One should

be in Meditation. Not trying to do something not trying to

wait for something good to happen. Devote yourself to the

present and the Joy will arise automatically (and that will

stay)


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I wish I could be...

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with

himself and with his position in life.One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through

the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and

important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!"

thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and

wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant,

enjoying more luxuries and power than he had everimagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy

than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a

sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by

soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy,

had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that

official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high

official!"

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in hisembroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all

around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very

uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at

the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his

presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish

that I could be the sun!"

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down oneveryone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and

laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and

the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on

everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he


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thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages,

shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was

being pushed away by some great force, and realized that itwas the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish

that I could be the wind!"

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of

houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him.

But after a while, he ran up against something that would

not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a

huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he

thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else

on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a

hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt

himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than

I, the rock?" he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a

stone cutter.

Meaning:

Don't underestimate yourself and be satisfied with what

you are.


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Meditation and Laziness

A Sufi teaching story tells of a man who prayed continually

for the awareness to succeed in life. Then one night hedreamed of going into the forest to attain understanding.

The next morning he went into the woods and wandered for

several hours looking for some sign that would provide

answers. When he finally stopped to rest, he saw a fox with

no legs lying between two rocks in a cool place. Curious as

to how a legless fox could survive, he waited until sunset

when he observed a lion come and lay meat before the fox."Ah, I understand," the man thought. "The secret to success

in life is to trust that God will take care of all my needs. I

don't need to provide for myself. All I have to do is totally

surrender to my all-sustaining God." Two weeks later,

weakened and starving, the man had another dream. In it he

heard a voice say, "Fool. Be like the lion, not like the fox."

Meaning:

Don't misunderstand meditation with laziness. An

Enlightened person should not be dependent on others. He

should be the one who is always eager to help and guide

others.


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No More Questions

Upon meeting a Zen master at a social event, a psychiatristdecided to ask him a question that had been on his mind.

"Exactly how do you help people?" he inquired.

"I get them where they can't ask any more questions," the

Master answered.

Meaning:

Simply: An Enlightened person is not the one who know allanswers, but the one who has no more questions.


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Spider

A Tibetan story tells of a meditation student who, whilemeditating in his room, believed he saw a spider

descending in front of him. Each day the menacing creature

returned, growing larger and larger each time. So

frightened was the student, that he went to his teacher to

report his dilemma. He said he planned to place a knife in

his lap during meditation, so when the spider appeared he

would kill it. The teacher advised him against this plan.

Instead, he suggested, bring a piece of chalk to meditation,

and when the spider appeared, mark an "X" on its belly.

Then report back. The student returned to his meditation.

When the spider again appeared, he resisted the urge to

attack it, and instead did just what the master suggested.

When he later reported back to the master, the teacher told

him to lift up his shirt and look at his own belly. There was

the "X".

Meaning:

This is a good story which guides us to understand that

"Fear is nothing but our own imagination". The Monk saw

that the mark was on his stomach, which proves that there

was no spider, but his own imagination.


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Air Or God

A hermit was meditating by a river when a young maninterrupted him. "Master, I wish to become your disciple,"

said the man. "Why?" replied the hermit. The young man

thought for a moment. "Because I want to find God."

The master jumped up, grabbed him by the scruff of his

neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head

under water. After holding him there for a minute, with him

kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally

pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up

water and gasped to get his breath. When he eventually

quieted down, the master spoke. "Tell me, what did you

want most of all when you were under water."

"Air!" answered the man.

"Very well," said the master. "Go home and come back to

me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."

Meaning:

The will to live is sometimes stronger than wanting God in

your life. In the Bible Jesus tells people that they must give

up everything in order to follow him to God.


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Who is Shri Mataji?

Experience of "Gregoire de Kalbermatten" with HH ShreeMataji Nirmala Devi (Founder of Sahaja Yoga)

I remember a fine morning of August 1975, sitting in a

suburban train between Hurst Green and London. Shri

Mataji Nirmala Devi was sitting in front of me(Gregoire de

Kalbermatten). I had spent some very intriguing and mind

boggling moments in her house, the day before, having feltlevels of consciousness whose bliss it is impossible to

describe. I was fairly puzzled and asked quite simply: "Shri

Mataji, who are you?" She responded something like:

"open your hands, close your eyes and ask the question

again", suggesting I should ask through my meditation. I

did so. After some time - I do not know how much time - I

opend my eyes again. Shri Mataji was smiling; she said"So?" I responded "Nothing Shri Mataji, just the silence".

She said "I am the silence". But for the rest of the day, I had

the feeling of being so light that I was litterally wondering

whether my feet were touching the ground; the quality of

well being throughout this day of shopping in London was

again ecstatic. These states of higher awareness were

registered by my central nervous system and cannot be

doubted. The perception is direct.


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Meaning:

So, who is Shri Mataji? Caiaphas asked Jesus: "Are you the

son of God?" When Jesus replied affirmatively, the

Pharisees sent him to Pontius Pilatus and to the cross.Sometimes peole ask and do not want to know. Sometimes

people ask and do not want to believe. But if we ask

because we are genuinely interested, and honest, then, only

in meditation can we get close to the subject, in a living and

experimental manner. All the rest is words, and words are

just that: ambivalent and unconvincing. The history of

spirituality shows that spiritual masters are fought by themainstream establishment when they are alive and

worshipped when they are dead in order to take advantage

of their legacy. My advice to those who would like to know

the truth about Shri Mataji's unique and historical advent on

this earth is to get access to self realisation through the

proven technique of sahaja yoga and go deeper in

meditation where responses unfold.


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What Is Enlightenment?

A Monk once asked his Spiritual teacher, "Master, what is

enlightenment?"The master replied, "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."

Meaning:

Enlightenment means to know thyself. It means to

understand that life is an illusion. When someone

understands this, he starts living in "This Very Moment".When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep- This means when

You eat you just eat and when you sleep you just sleep.

While eating you don't do anything else, you don't think

you just eat. This also tells that when someone becomes

Enlightened than he stops following the so called rituals or

rules. He acts as per the situation. He won't eat when the

world eats and he won't sleep when the world sleeps. He

eats when he is hungry and sleep when he is sleepy.


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Fearless Monk

During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army

would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In oneparticular village, everyone fled just before the army

arrived - everyone except the Zen master. Curious about

this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for

himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn't

treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he

was accustomed, the general burst into anger. "You fool,"

he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realizeyou are standing before a man who could run you through

without blinking an eye!" But despite the threat, the master

seemed unmoved. "And do you realize," the master replied

calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run

through without blinking an eye?"

Meaning:

Army General Said - Don't you realize you are standing

before a man who could run you through without blinking

an eye!

Zen Master Replied - And do you realize, You are standing

before a man who can be run through without blinking an

eye!

The above conversation tells that the General is so bravethat he is not afraid of killing. Whearas the Zen Master is

so Fearless that he is not even afraid of being killed. This

clearly tells who is fearless and who is more Powerful.


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Empty Your Mind

A man went to a Zen master and said that "I am not happywith my life". "I have a single room flat and it its filled

with my huge family". He further added that his family

includes his wife, 2 children, father, mother and grand

mother. The Master asked that "do you have any animal

also". The man replied "Yes, I have 2 cows, 2 goats and a

dog". "Where do they live" asked the Zen Master. "In the

Backyard" replied the Man. The Zen Master asked the man

to let the animals also live along with him in his single

room flat and come back after 7 days. As the man respected

the Zen Master he followed the advice. His life became

worst for the next 7 days. He came back to the Zen Master

and asked for his advice. The Zen Master now asked the

Man to again let the animals live in the backyard and see

the difference. The Man felt relieved now in the same home

with the same space and same members.

Meaning:

This story can be related to the human mind. We have

gathered a lot of good and bad ideas in our mind. Remove

those ideas and see the difference. Emptiness is the real

essence of Enlightenment.


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Nature Of Things

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river whenthey noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk

immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the

process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl

and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion

and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend,

why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know

it's nature is to sting?"

"Because," the monk replied, "to save is my nature."

Meaning:

This story gives a message to help others and continue

being good to others. Because it should be your nature and

under no circumstance it can be changed.


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Reality of life

The reality of life, is far away from our mind.To explore this treasure, one has to open the inner eyes.

The way of opening inner eyes, is to close the outer ones.

Overcomming the illusions of life and acting wise.

A writer cannot write nor a musician can sing.

There is no criteria of understanding life.

It can only be felt singularly because it's...

The reality of life.

2007 by Ashwani Thakur.

Documents

Inspirational Stories of Enlightenment