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you I remembered that man, Maulingaputta."
Maulingaputta said, "How am I related to that man? Are you mad or something? Why should you remember that man?"
And Buddha said, "I am remembering that man because whatsoever you know does not belong to you. These are other people's cows -- the Vedas, the Upanishads. I can see your head is full of all kinds of things, beautiful sayings, wise sayings. They have made you look wise, but you are not a wise man. You tell me one thing: do you know or you are simply repeating the scriptures?"
The question had come in such a sudden way. Nobody had asked it before because Maulingaputta had never come across a Buddha. He was meeting other scholars who were counting also the same -- others' cows and bulls and buffaloes -- and of course he had counted more than they had counted.
And Buddha looked deep into him and he said, "Come close to me, let me look into your eyes and answer me honestly -- is this your experience? Have you experienced God? Have you experienced samadhi? Have you experienced the truth?"
Maulingaputta felt ashamed, started looking down, could not raise his head in front of Buddha.
And Buddha said, "At least you are a sincere person, an honest person. I respect your sincerity -- you cannot lie. Do you want to experience truth, or do you think it is enough that others have known and you can go on just repeating their words like a parrot?"
Maulingaputta said, "Yes, sir, I would like to know."
Then Buddha said, "Sit by my side and for two years remain absolutely silent -- no talking, no questioning, no argumentation, no studying. Throw all your scriptures and for two years sit in silence by my side. After two years you can ask whatsoever you want to ask."
After those two years Buddha asked Maulingaputta, "Now do you want to ask anything?"
Maulingaputta bowed down, touched his feet and said, "I am grateful. The silence has taught me everything, that two years' silence sitting by your side. I have experienced. Now there is no need to say anything to me. I am yours, at your service. You have not argued, but you have conquered. You have not defeated me
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