Photo credit: Thank you Dr.Manoj!

The above picture remind me  the following story which I read somewhere many years ago. I think this is the simple solution for almost all of our problems and complicated situations. A problem is not a static state, it goes through many phases. There are many dimensions, views, perspectives and complications. If you keep analyzing the problem then it is never ending. If you discuss your problem with experts, friends and people to get some solution then it will become even worst because they have different opinions, judgements and views. But see what happens when you just accept the whole situation and say: “Is that so?”

The story

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents went to the master. “Is that so?” was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: “Is that so?”

In this story Hakuin is innocent and an innocent person never try to defend himself. He is not so called moral saint with a calculative mind. He don’t bother about his public image or what people think about him. He is just a witness. His acceptance and innocence is total.

Photo credit: h.koppdelaney

A student once asked his teacher,”Master, what is enlightenment?”
The master replied,”When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep.”

————————

See, this is very simple. This master don’t bother about getting free from the past, rising kudalini or rotating chakra. He is not confusing the student like modern gurus by presenting complicated philosophical jargon and hundreds of techniques.

Simply living in the moment, eating and sleeping that’s all. The message is very clear and straight forward. No religion, no god, no devotional songs.