A gem of a story from Anand Zen
It happened in Upanishadic days that one young boy ,Svetaketu , was sent by his father to Gurukul , to a family of an enlightened master ,to learn . He learned every thing that could be learned , he memorized all the vedas and science that is available in those days.He became proficient in them, he became a great scholar, his fame started spreading all over the country.Then , there was nothing else to be taught , so the master said,"you have learnt all that can be taught.Now u can go home".
Thinking that he has learnt everything and there is nothing left , Since the master has taught him every thing he knows- Svetaketu went home.Of course , with great pride and ego , he came back to his father . When he was entering the village , his father , uddalak,looked out in the window at his son coming back from the University.He saw the way he was walking - very proudly,the way he was holding his head- in a very egoistic way , the way he was looking all around-very self-conscious that he knew.
The father became sad and depressed , because this is not the way of one who really knows, this is not the way of one who has come to know the supreme knowledge.The son entered the house , he was thinking that his father would be very happy - he has become one of the suprememost scholars of the country,he was known everywhere , respected every where , but he saw that the father was sad,so he asked ,"why are u sad"
The father asked, " Only one question I have to ask u.Have u learned that by learning which there is no need to learn anything any more?Have u known that by learning which all suffering ceases?Have u been taught which cannot be taught?"
The boy also became sad.And said, "no,whatsoever I have know has been taught to me,and I can teach it to anyone who is ready to learn."
The father said,"Then u go back and ask ur master that u be taught that which cannot be taught".
The boy said,"But , that is absurd.If it cannot be taught,how can the master teach me"
The father said,"That is the art of master , he can teach u that cannot be taught.You go back".
He went back .Bowing down his master's feet, he said,"My father has sent me for an absolutely absurd thing .Noe I don't know where I am and what I am asking u.My father has told me to come back only when I have been taught that which cannot be taught.What is it?Is there anything like that?You never told me about it."
The master said, "Unless one inquires ,that cannot be told,u never inquired about it .But now u r starting a totally different journey.And remember,it cannot be taught,so it is very delicate, only indirectly will I help u.Do one thing , take all the animals of my Gurukul -there were at least 400 cows,bulls and other animals- and go to the deepest forest possible where nobody ever comes and moves .Live with these animals in silence.Don't talk , because these animals cannot understand any language.So remain silent, and when just by reproduction these 400 animals turn into 1000,then come back.
It was going to be a long time- until 400 animals turn into 1000 .And he was to go with out saying anything,without arguing,without asking,"what are u telling me to do?Where will it lead?" He was to just live with animals and trees , not talking and forgetting the human world completely.Because ur mind is a human creation,if u live with human beings the mind is continuously fed.They say something, u say something - the mind goes on learning , it goes on revolving.
"So, go" , the master said,"to the hills,to the forest.Live alone.Don't talk.And there is no use of thinking, because these animals won't understand even if u r thinking.Drop all ur scholarship here.
Svetaketu followed.He went to the forest and lived with the animals for many years.For a few days , thoughts remained in his mind - the same thoughts repeating themselves again and again.Then it became boring.
If new thoughts are not felt , then u will become aware that the mind is just repetitive,just a mechanical repetition, it goes on in a rut.And there was no way to get new knowledge.With new knowledge the mind is always happy,because there is again something to grind,something again to work out,the mechanism goes on moving.
Svetaketu became aware.There were 400 animals , birds,other wild animals , trees,rocks,rivers,streams, but no man and no possibility of any human communication.There was no use in being egoistic,because these animals didn't know what type of great scholar this svetaketu was.They didn't consider him at all,they didn't look at him with respect, so by and by the pride disappeared , because it was futile and it even looked foolish to walk in a prideful way with the animals.
Even , Svetaketu started feeling,"If I remain egoistic , these animals will laugh at me- so what am I doing?"Sitting under the trees,sleeping near the streams,by and by his mind became silent.The story is beautiful ,years passed and his mind became so silent that he completely forgot when he had to return.He became so silent that even this idea was not there.The past dropped completely, with the dropping of the past the future drops,because the future this nothing but a projection of past- just the past reaching the future.
So, he forgot what the master had said and when to return.There was no when and where,he was just here and now.He lived in the moment just like the animals, he became a cow.The story says that when the animals became 1000,they started felling uncomfortable.There were waiting for Svetaketu to take them back to the ashram and he had forgotten, so one day the cows decided to speak to Svetaketu and said, "Now It's time to remember what the master had said- u must come back when the animals became 1000, and u have completely forgotten.Now it's time to go back..We have become 1000."
So, Svetaketi went back with the animals.The master looked from the door of his hut at Svetaketu coming with 1000 animals and he said to his other disciples,"Look , 1001 animals are coming",Svetaketu had become such a silent being-no ego, no self-consciousness , just moving with animals as one among them.
The master came to receive him.The master was dancing,ecstatic.He embraced Svetaketu and said,"Now there is nothing to say to you- you have already known.Why have u come?There is no need to come now,there is no need to be taught.You have already known."
Svetaketu said,"Just to pay my respects,just to touch ur feet,just to be grateful.It has happened and u have taught me which cannot be taught."
This is what a master is to do: Create a situation in which the things happen.So only indirect effort can be made,indirect help,indirect guidance.And where ever direct guidance is given,where ever ur mind is taught,it is not religion .It may be theology but not religion, it may be philosophy , but not religion.
Eyes see the world,Mind see the eyes,The inner soul perceives the working of the mind............
One of the greatest stories from the scriptures............
