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just as James Love.
The sutra:
OUR BELOVED MASTER,
KOKE RECEIVED A HORSE FROM THE EMPEROR DOKO AS A REWARD FOR HIS TEACHING. HE RODE AWAY ON IT, BUT THEN FELL OFF AND BROKE HIS LEG. WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE TEMPLE HE HAD THE HEAD MONK MAKE SOME CRUTCHES.
There was a time in the world when the horse was the most valuable animal -- the fastest in peacetime, the most courageous in war. It was one of the great gifts in those days.
So when Emperor Doko heard that Koke had become enlightened, he thought, "What to send as a present?" He must have sent some Arabian horse, because they are the best in the world -- pure white, and of the greatest speed, and tremendous power.
India has been defeated again and again for almost two thousand years. You will not believe me, but the reason was that the enemies were very small countries but they were coming on horses, and India was vast but India's emperors had armies of elephants. That was the reason for its continual defeat. Because elephants are royal people, they don't compete with small horses. They walk just like emperors.
And because horses were small, they could enter into the army of Indian emperors, inside. And once the enemy attacks the elephant, he goes crazy, he creates a stampede. Then he does not bother whom he is destroying -- his own people, his own army. He turns back and starts killing people. Now you cannot control him.
India was defeated for this simple reason, again and again. They thought that the elephant is a great animal. He is, but in war a horse is more practical.
If a marriage ceremony is happening, an elephant is perfectly good. But war is not a marriage ceremony.
So Emperor Doko sent Koke a beautiful horse as a present. Now, Koke must have never ridden on a horse. There is no need for an enlightened man, living on his mountain, to have a horse. This must have been the first time; seeing the beautiful horse, Koke rode on it.
This shows one thing, that even enlightened people can commit mistakes. Except the Christian pope, everybody commits mistakes. Only the Christian pope is infallible.
Even Jesus commits mistakes. He
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