Osho No Water No Moon

Why Don't You Retire?

TOKUSAN WAS STUDYING ZEN UNDER RYUTAN. ONE NIGHT TOKUSAN CAME TO RYUTAN AND ASKED MANY QUESTIONS.

THE TEACHER SAID, "THE NIGHT IS GETTING OLD - WHY DON'T YOU RETIRE?"

SO TOKUSAN BOWED, AND AS HE OPENED THE SCREEN TO GO OUT HE OBSERVED, "IT IS VERY DARK OUTSIDE."

RYUTAN OFFERED TOKUSAN A LIGHTED CANDLE TO FIND HIS WAY, BUT JUST AS TOKUSAN RECEIVED IT, RYUTAN BLEW IT OUT.

AT THAT MOMENT THE MIND OF TOKUSAN WAS OPENED.

TOKUSAN WAS STUDYING ZEN UNDER RYUTAN. ONE NIGHT TOKUSAN CAME TO RYUTAN AND ASKED MANY QUESTIONS.

Osho No Water No Moon

Black-Nosed Buddha

A NUN WHO WAS SEARCHING FOR ENLIGHTENMENT MADE A WOODEN STATUE OF BUDDHA AND COVERED IT WITH GOLD LEAF. IT WAS VERY PRETTY AND SHE CARRIED IT WITH HER WHEREVER SHE WENT.

YEARS PASSED, AND STILL CARRYING HER BUDDHA, THE NUN SETTLED DOWN IN A SMALL COUNTRY TEMPLE WHERE THERE WERE MANY STATUES OF BUDDHA EACH HAVING ITS OWN SHRINE.

THE NUN BURNED INCENSE BEFORE HER GOLDEN BUDDHA EACH DAY, BUT NOT LIKING THE IDEA OF HER PERFUME STRAYING TO THE OTHER STATUES, SHE DEVISED A FUNNEL THROUGH WHICH THE SMOKE WOULD ASCEND TO HER STATUE ONLY.

THIS BLACKENED THE NOSE OF THE GOLDEN STATUE AND MADE IT ESPECIALLY UGLY.

Osho No Water No Moon

The Giver Should Be Thankful

THE MASTER SEISTSU REQUIRED LARGER PREMISES AS THE BUILDING HE WAS TEACHING IN WAS VERY OVERCROWDED.

UMEZU, A MERCHANT, DECIDED TO DONATE FIVE HUNDRED PIECES OF GOLD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING.

UMEZU TOOK THE MONEY TO THE TEACHER AND SEISTSU SAID, "ALL RIGHT, I WILL TAKE IT."

UMEZU GAVE THE SACK OF GOLD TO SEISTSU, BUT HE WAS VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE ATTITUDE OF THE TEACHER AS THE AMOUNT HE HAD GIVEN WAS VERY GREAT - ONE COULD LIVE FOR A WHOLE YEAR ON THREE PIECES OF GOLD, AND THE TEACHER HAD NOT EVEN THANKED HIM.

"IN THAT SACK THERE ARE FIVE HUNDRED PIECES OF GOLD," HINTED UMEZU.

"YOU TOLD ME THAT BEFORE," SAID SEISTSU.

Osho No Water No Moon

A Philosopher Asks Buddha

A PHILOSOPHER CAME TO BUDDHA ONE DAY AND ASKED, "WITHOUT WORDS, WITHOUT THE WORDLESS, WILL YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH?"

THE BUDDHA KEPT SILENCE.

THE PHILOSOPHER BOWED AND THANKED BUDDHA, SAYING, "WITH YOUR LOVING KINDNESS I HAVE CLEARED AWAY MY DELUSIONS AND ENTERED THE TRUE PATH."

AFTER THE PHILOSOPHER HAD GONE ANANDA ASKED BUDDHA WHAT THE PHILOSOPHER HAD ATTAINED.

THE BUDDHA REPLIED, "A GOOD HORSE RUNS EVEN AT THE SHADOW OF THE WHIP."

A PHILOSOPHER CAME TO BUDDHA ONE DAY AND ASKED, "WITHOUT WORDS, WITHOUT THE WORDLESS, WILL YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH?"

Osho - No Water No Moon

No Water No Moon

 BAMBOO

ONE NIGHT, SHE WAS CARRYING AN OLD PAIL FILLED WITH WATER. AS SHE WAS WALKING ALONG, SHE WAS WATCHING THE FULL MOON REFLECTED IN THE PAIL OF WATER.

SUDDENLY, THE BAMBOO STRIPS THAT HELD THE PAIL TOGETHER BROKE, AND THE PAIL FELL APART. THE WATER RUSHED OUT; THE MOON'S REFLECTION DISAPPEARED - AND CHIYONO BECAME ENLIGHTENED. SHE WROTE THIS VERSE:

THIS WAY AND THAT WAY I TRIED TO KEEP THE PAIL TOGETHER, HOPING THE WEAK BAMBOO WOULD NEVER BREAK.

SUDDENLY THE BOTTOM FELL OUT. NO MORE WATER; NO MORE MOON IN THE WATER - EMPTINESS IN MY HAND.

Osho - No Water No Moon

Ninakawa Smiles

JUST BEFORE NINAKAWA PASSED AWAY THE ZEN MASTER IKKYU VISITED HIM. "SHALL I LEAD YOU ON?" IKKYU ASKED.

NINAKAWA REPLIED, "I CAME HERE ALONE, AND I GO ALONE. WHAT HELP COULD YOU BE TO ME?"

IKKYU ANSWERED, "IF YOU THINK YOU REALLY COME AND GO, THAT IS YOUR DELUSION.

LET ME SHOW YOU THE PATH IN WHICH THERE IS NO COMING AND GOING."

WITH HIS WORDS, IKKYU HAD REVEALED THE PATH SO CLEARLY THAT NINAKAWA SMILED AND PASSED AWAY.

Osho - No Water No Moon

Trading Dialogue for Lodging

THERE IS AN OLD TRADITION IN SOME JAPANESE ZEN TEMPLES THAT IF A WANDERING MONK CAN WIN AN ARGUMENT ABOUT BUDDHISM WITH ONE OF THE RESIDENT MONKS, HE CAN STAY THE NIGHT. IF NOT, HE HAS TO MOVE ON.

THERE WAS SUCH A TEMPLE IN NORTHERN JAPAN RUN BY TWO BROTHERS. THE ELDER BROTHER WAS VERY LEARNED AND THE YOUNGER BROTHER WAS RATHER STUPID, AND HE HAD ONLY ONE EYE.

ONE EVENING A WANDERING MONK CAME TO ASK FOR LODGING. THE ELDER BROTHER WAS VERY TIRED AS HE HAD BEEN STUDYING FOR MANY HOURS, SO HE TOLD THE YOUNGER BROTHER TO GO AND TAKE THE DEBATE. "REQUEST THAT THE DIALOGUE BE IN SILENCE," SAID THE ELDER BROTHER.

Osho - No Water No Moon

Love Should Be like Breathing

“The basic fallacy that you are carrying within you is that you always loved somebody.

"This is one of the most significant things about all human beings: their love is always for somebody. It is addressed and the moment you address your love, you destroy it. It is as if you are saying, ‘I will breathe only for you, and when you are not there, then how can I breathe?’

Osho - No Mind The Flowers of Eternity

Nothing to choose, nothing to discard

BELOVED ZORBA THE BUDDHA,

WHEN HE FIRST MET SEKITO, HO KOJI ASKED, "WHO IS HE THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF ALL THINGS?"

BEFORE HE COULD FINISH HIS QUESTION, SEKITO COVERED KOJI'S MOUTH WITH HIS HAND. AT THIS, KOJI UNDERWENT AN EXPERIENCE AND EXPRESSED HIMSELF IN THE FOLLOWING VERSE:

Osho - No Mind The Flowers of Eternity

Only creation shows your power

BELOVED ZORBA THE BUDDHA,

WHEN KOKO, A DISCIPLE OF JOSHU, WENT TO SEE MASTER HOGEN, HE WAS ASKED WHERE HE HAD BEEN RECENTLY.

"WITH JOSHU," HE ANSWERED.

HOGEN ASKED, "I HAVE HEARD ABOUT JOSHU AND THE OAK TREE; ISN'T THIS SO?"

KOKO SAID, "IT IS NOT SO!"

When I call you my friends, I mean it

BELOVED BUDDHA,

A NON-BUDDHIST SCHOLAR, MEETING MASTER DAIZUI, GAVE HIM A BOWL. A MONK OBSERVING THIS ASKED DAIZUI, "WHAT DID YOU USE BEFORE HE PRESENTED YOU WITH THE BOWL?"

DAIZUI SAID, "I USED THE ONE I SHALL USE ON MY LAST DAY ON EARTH."

ONCE, DAIZUI WAS ASKED, "WHEN ALL THINGS ARE ANNIHILATED, WILL THAT ALSO BE ANNIHILATED?"

Osho - No Mind The Flowers of Eternity

Be ready to be chopped

BELOVED BUDDHA,

MAYOKU CAME TO SHOKEI CARRYING HIS BELL STAFF WITH HIM. HE CIRCUMNAVIGATED SHOKEI'S SEAT THREE TIMES, SHOOK HIS STAFF, RINGING THE BELLS, STUCK THE STAFF IN THE GROUND, AND THEN STOOD UP STRAIGHT.

SHOKEI SAID, "GOOD."

Osho - No Mind The Flowers of Eternity

Truth has no history

BELOVED BUDDHA,

A MONK CAME TO SEE MASTER DAIZUI, AND SAID TO HIM, "MOUNT GOTAI AND MOUNT DAIZUI - WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? HOW IS MOUNT DAIZUI?"

DAIZUI SAID, "SPEAK LOUDER - I'M HARD OF HEARING."

THE MONK REPEATED THE QUESTION IN A LOUD VOICE.

Osho - No Mind The Flowers of Eternity

world of the gurus has ended

BELOVED BUDDHA,

ONCE, AFTER DAIJI HAD BECOME AN ENLIGHTENED MASTER, HE SAID TO HIS MONKS, "I'M NOT GOING TO EXPLAIN ANY MORE DEBATES; YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A DISEASE."

AT THIS, A MONK STOOD UP FROM THE ASSEMBLY AND CAME FORWARD; DAIJI WENT BACK TO HIS ROOM.

Osho - No Mind The Flowers of Eternity

My change has taken me higher

BELOVED BUDDHA,

ONCE A DISCIPLE OF MA TZU, CALLED IKAN, WAS ASKED BY A MONK,

"HAS THE DOG THE BUDDHA-NATURE OR NOT?"

IKAN REPLIED YES, AND THE MONK THEN ASKED, "HAVE YOU GOT IT OR NOT?"

IKAN RESPONDED, "I HAVE NOT."

THEN THE MONK ASKED, "ALL EXISTENT CREATURES HAVE THE BUDDHA-NATURE; HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVEN'T?"