| Once upon a time, a young man decided to | | | | Beside being mildly humorous, this story has a |
| pursue the path of enlightenment. He asked many | | | | couple of lessons for us, if we'll hear them. |
| people if they knew a teacher who could teach | | | | |
| this path. Everyone in his village told him to seek | | | | 1. The spiritual path is not necessarily complicated, |
| out a particular guru in the next village. | | | | or esoteric. Zen teachings work to drive this point |
| He did so, asking the spiritual teacher to become | | | | home relentlessly: "Stop fooling around. You are |
| his master and show him the path to | | | | living smack dab in the middle of Truth - just get |
| enlightenment. "Certainly", replied the guru. "Here is | | | | it!" In other words, it is possible to come to |
| what you do - every morning when you get out | | | | spiritual realization without jumping through tons of |
| of bed, look at yourself in a mirror and ask | | | | hoops. |
| yourself 'who am I?' If you do that, soon you will | | | | 2. As simple as spiritual Truth can be to |
| be enlightened." | | | | experience, it usually isn't easy and we often can't |
| "What?" cried the young man. "That's silly - it | | | | get at it without significant preparation. This is |
| would never work!" | | | | why study, meditation, prayer, and ethical |
| "Hmmm," said the master. "OK. Maybe you should | | | | behavior are so critical to our development. Such |
| go see the master another village over. I hear he | | | | practices are intended to give us the perspective |
| is even wiser than I am." | | | | necessary to recognize what has always been in |
| A bit disappointed that first master wasn't able to | | | | front of us. |
| help, and a little insulted that the man would even | | | | On top of that, the exercise offered by both |
| have suggested something so foolish, the young | | | | teachers in this story really is useful as a |
| man went to the next village where he found the | | | | pre-cursor to investigative meditation, which is |
| second guru. "Will you help me find | | | | related to meditating on emptiness. Try it the |
| enlightenment?" | | | | next time you look in a mirror. Look yourself in |
| "Of course!" said the second guru. "But I must | | | | the face and ask, "Who am I?" |
| warn you - the path is very demanding. You will | | | | This is not a rhetorical question. Answer yourself. |
| be challenged in ways you can't even imagine right | | | | Who are you? There will be a lot of quick, easy |
| now. Are you willing to give up everything you | | | | answers: you have a name, you are a husband or |
| have and do whatever I say?" | | | | wife, a son or daughter, a father or mother, an |
| "Yes! Yes!" said the young man. Finally! This | | | | employee, a friend, an enemy... You are many |
| teacher obviously knew what he was talking | | | | things. When you have run through those obvious |
| about. So the young man settled into discipleship | | | | answers, which come easily and are just as easily |
| with the second guru, dutifully performing every | | | | dismissed as incomplete answers, keep going. |
| meditation, every prayer, every ascetic act | | | | Keep digging. See what you find. Where is the |
| demanded of him. | | | | truest you, the ROOT you? |
| After five years of rigorous study and deep | | | | Do this every day. At first, you could feel a bit |
| meditation, the guru said to the young man, "You | | | | narcissistic, but you'll soon realize this exercise is |
| have been a fine student, and done everything I | | | | not even close to that kind of self involvement. |
| have assigned you with excellence. Are you ready | | | | (By the same token, any temptation to criticize |
| for the final instruction?" | | | | perceived flaws will quickly fall away). As you |
| Excited, the student assured his master that he | | | | continue searching for anything concrete on which |
| was ready for this last step to enlightenment. His | | | | to rest the answer to this question of who you |
| guru told him, "OK, here it is: every morning when | | | | are, your idea of self can begin to change. The |
| you get out of bed, look at yourself in a mirror | | | | storyline about your own reality will morph, |
| and ask yourself 'who am I?' If you do that, soon | | | | possibly leading to a fresh relations with yourself, |
| you will be enlightened." | | | | the world around you, and the Divine. |
| "W-what??" sputtered the young man. "That's it? | | | | Ultimately, this is just another technique, as is |
| You could have told me that five years ago!" | | | | meditation. But every time you use one of these |
| "You're right, I could have - but you were not | | | | special practices to make a shift in perspective, |
| ready to hear, yet. That is why you came to me, | | | | you become healthier. See where this one can |
| instead of doing what the first teacher told you." | | | | take you. |