|
Main Index
|
| |
| |
|
| |
on his head. And the king said, 'Sir, you can put it down. Why you are holding it on your head? And in the first place why do you have it on your head? It is meant for your foot.' Bodhidharma said, 'I want to make everything clear from the very beginning that I am this type of man. You can think me mad or you can think me enlighten-ed, but I am strange. And be clear from the beginning that you are meeting a strange man. I am absurd, illogical. I am as absurd as this shoe on my head. There is no reason for it, it simply happened. I enjoyed it. And the poor shoe has always been carrying me so why can I not carry it?'
This was just a Zen gesture. He was trying to fathom this man, this Emperor Wu who had invited him from India. He was trying to see whether he would be able to understand the illogic of truth. Truth has no argument to prove it; it is a statement, remember. Bodhidharma was standing there -- he was a statement, illogical, absurd. Thousands of people had gathered to receive him and all were feeling puzzled.
But he was saying, 'I am not going to argue. If you are going to listen to me you have to forget all argumentation. I am not going to persuade. I am not here to convince you about anything. I am a simple statement, an absurd statement, about the truth. I will not give you reasons, there are none.'
Then Bodhidharma looked at the King. The King was puzzled, he was perspiring. And Bodhidharma said, 'Have you something to ask, Sir? You have called me from India and it took many years to get here. For what have you called me?' Wu said, 'I had many questions but you have confused me. But I will try. The first question: I have made many temples for Buddha -- thousands -- I feed thousands of Bud-dhist monks, I have made many monasteries for Buddhist monks and Buddhist nuns, I have done much virtuous work. What will be my gain in the other world?' And Bodhidharma said, 'Nothing! Nothing whatsoever! If you can escape hell that will be enough.'
Bodhidharma said, 'The very idea of doing something for gain is irreligious, worldly. You have not done it because you love, you have done it because you are greedy. Greed will take you to hell.
|
|
|
|
| |