Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Zen Story - I am awake - Lord Buddha


Following is a short story of Gautam Buddha. Since Zen is a product of Buddhism which traveled with Buddhist monks from India to China to Japan and Zen became popular in Japan. Most Zen master rather that giving teachings and discourses, would create conditions or use absurd looking techniques to awaken the disciple. Because meditation is not a process of learning, the way we understand learning, gathering information of mind. But it is to get awaken to the mind and self, and be aware of the working of mind and self which brings an understanding which cannot be conveyed through words. Words are just indicators to help the subject to reach a state of awareness in self.

Zen is creative. It brings about creativeness in ones self. The popularity of Zen is such that the word has taken the place in normal modern life with Zen accessories like Zen clock or Zen Alarm Clock, Zen Garden, Zen Furniture, Zen Mats.

Zen stories are not the fiction. These stories are the incidents which really happened with the Enlightened beings and the Zen Masters, who worked or answered the disciples in order to point to bring the awakening in the self. These short story can have a profound effect on the readers as they did to the listener, or might just pass away as an amusing, entertaining story, or even a meaningless story for some. The stories are there, Readers are free, what to take from these stories. However it is due to the profound meanings in these very short stories, these have been favorites for many. Books still gets printed telling these stories and one can find good resource online too.

Here is the story

"
It is said that when Buddha was first Enlightened he was asked,
"Are you a God?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you a saint?"
"No."
"Then what are you?"
And he answered, "I am awake." "

Lord Buddha did not answered in affirmation to the God, as the word God had already a meaning for the questioner. It had a meaning an idea of God, which essentially is not God. Buddha just gave him an indication which could make him realize, what God is ?

More inspirational short stories to read online on this blog

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

cool

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