One day, the Buddha was walking through a village teaching Dhamma, when a very angry and rude young man belonging to another group of believers came up to him and began insulting…
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One-minute wisdom
“Is there such a thing as one-minute wisdom?” asked the disciples. “There certainly is,” said the Master. “But surely one minute is too brief?” “It is fifty-nine seconds too long.” To his…
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The song of the bird
The disciples were full of questions about God. Said the Master, “God is Unknown, the Unknowable. Every statement about him, every answer to your questions, is a distortion of the truth.” The…
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Vigilance
Is there anything I can do to make myself Enlightened? As little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning. Then of what use are the spiritual exercises…
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“I distinctly remember forgetting it!”
When the Master was a boy at school, a classmate treated him with persistent cruelty. Now, older and contrite, he came to the monastery and was received with open arms. One day,…
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Laughing at yourself
There was nothing pompous about the Master. Wild, hilarious laughter prevailed each time he spoke, to the dismay of those who were solemn about their spirituality, and themselves. Said one disillusioned visitor, “The…
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The eye to see
A writer arrived at a monastery to write a book about the Master. “People say you are a genius. Are you?” he asked. “You might say so,” said the Master with a smile. “And…
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Who is greater?
Two disciples in an ashram started arguing on who is the greatest of the two. To put an end to the discussion, which was going on and on, then went to the…
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Not a minute to lose
When the Master heard that a neighbouring forest had been devastated by fire, he mobilised all his disciples. “We must replant the cedars,” he said. “The cedars?” exclaimed an incredulous disciple. “But…
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Dependence
To a disciple who depended overmuch on books, the Master said: “A man came to the market with a shopping list and lost it. When to his great joy he found it…