Bokuju and His disciples!

I take an opportunity to write a story below. You will like it.

A story that OSHO had told:

In Japan there was a famous, well-known Guru called as Bokuju. 8 hours of Physical work per day was mandatory to all disciples and also to the Guru. That gave them tremendous physical strength to the body and freshness to the mind and intellect. The Ashram had 500 intellectual disciples. It was a superior kind of Ashram in Japan at that time.

The Guru, Bokuju, turned into oldage. He decided to hand over the responsibility to some ablest disciple. He declared a theme to find his predecessor. He said that 4 lines are to be written on the outside wall of his Kuti. These lines should be constructed in such a way that it will contain the philosophy of all the religions and Dharmas, the essence of his teaching. If he accepts / approves those lines as the best one or the most appropriate one, he will give his position to that disciple and he will go into a Forest for Ekant-vaas.

Few days nobody even decide to construct the lines. They were really afraid of the Guru. If the Guru does not approve the lines, because of the lack of actual experience of the content of the lines, he may scold or beat them for pretentious contents. They all were seeing each others' face that who will take initiative. They were not sure of what they have actually learnt and what way that is actually useful in this context. Reading, writing or chanting for infinite times is different than the Pracheetee. They realised the same. How to extract the essence of what they have learnt for so many years in the past was a real question before them. They were worried for the exposure of their real knowledge as well. They became unsure of everything when the question of taking over the responsibility of Guru flashed before them. Now only inner ability and skill was of any help. The intellect was at the stake. Everybody was eager to take over the Ashram as Guru. But at the same time each one was afraid to appear for the test the Guru has asked them to undergo. They had their ideas for 'Guruship' but they were blank for the immediate solution for the Challenge.

There was most intelligent disciple amongst them. He was knowing everything of each religion and Dharm. So the others pressurized him to take a lead. Ultimately he decided to write the four lines. He designed those lines and wrote on the outside. But immediately after writing those lines he told his close friends that he will not stay in the Ashram but will hide himself just outside the Ashram. He must be aware that the lines that he had written are not the lines he experienced but they are the outcome of the Intellect only, and when Guru will read them he will realize the same.. And then obvious thing will happen. It is better to hide somewhere till the result is out. If Guru does approve the same, then the friends would inform him and then only he would enter the Ashram.

The 4 lines were as below:

" The mind is Mirror.
There is possibility to have dust on the Mirror in daily routine. (due to Karm, vikar etc)
It is possible to remove the dust. (by Satkarm, SadVichar, Satsang).
When the mirror is clear of dust, one can see himself through the mirror. (Self-realisation) "

The lines were perfect and satisfied the condition that they should be the essence of all religions and Dharmas. Actually there was no question of running away from the Ashram. But still the disciple ran away into an hide-out outside the Ashram.

Next day, early in the morning, the Guru saw those lines and immediately shouted for the writer. He asked the other disciples to find out the disciple who wrote these lines. " He needs severe punishment", the Guru said. All the disciples were really shocked. They dispersed immediately. but they started discussing amongst themselves about the decision of the Guru. They even started suspecting the knowledge of the Guru. 'साठी बुद्धी नाठी' ? the back-biting spread over the entire Ashram.

Once few disciples were debating on the same issue, just outside the रसोईघर. They started passing adverse remarks on the Guru. There was a person who was तान्दूळ- कुटया, who was busy in crushing the rice. He was doing the same for years together. Rarely he was seeing or talking to others around. Morning to evening he used to the same thing in a devotional manner. It was the work given to him by Guru when he entered the Ashram many years ago. At that time the Guru asked him the reason of his visit. He said , 'I want to know what is truth. Guru asked, 'whether you want to know about the truth or the truth itself?',. He told that he is interested to know the Truth itself and not something about the Truth. Then Guru gave him this work with a clearcut instruction that he should not see the Guru again, there is no need for it. If required the Guru will visit him at the Kitchen. He became extremely happy that now onwards Guru has taken his responsibility. that day onwards he made himself busy in the rice-crushing work. Others assumed that he is really a mad person and left him isolated for years.

So when the debate was taking place just outside the Kitchen, the person heard it and laugfhed all of a sudden. The disciples asked him the reason. He told that the Guru was right in this case. They challenged his (rice-crusher's) knowledge. He accepted his ignorance and further told that he has forgotten everything what he learnt in the past, including writing and reading skills even. But he remained insistent that The Guru was correct in this issue. Then the disciples forced him to construct and write four lines on the wall outside the Guru's Kuti. He simply denied the same saying that Guru has instructed him not to approach him again. 'If required Guru will visit me', he said. Then they insisted that he should construct the four lines and tell them so that they can go and write. He readily told the four lines,
" Mind is not a mirror at all.
Hence there is no possibility of forming dust on it.
In such case, the question of removing the dust does not arise.
one who understands this, knows everything. "

The disciples wrote those lines on the said wall, during the darkness of the night. Next day all of them were curious about the reaction of their Guru. But when Guru read those lines he immediately declared that catch hold of the Rice-crusher. Nobody else can write these lines. the Guru impatiently ran towards the Kitchen and met the rice-cutter with eager. Guru told, ' now take over the responsibility oif Guru of this Ashram. You are the most appropriate predecessor.' The rice-crusher gestured, 'No I am not the required person. I dont know anything about the preaching and about the philosophy. I know only rice-crushing. I don't want this responsibility.' Guru did not listen, 'I don't know anything now. It is your responsibility to manage the Ashram. I am going. The Guru left and the rice-crusher took over the charge as Guru.

It is said that the Ashram became more popular during his period. Many many ordinary people even got the experience of self-realisation. He used to tell the Teacher, Continue teaching but the teacher must die.'. He used to tell the carpenter,' go on doing the carpentry, but the carpenter must vanish.' He used to tell farmer, 'do the forming in such a way that the farmer must not cease but farming should continue.' People adopted his process having full faith on him and got the ultimate experience of self-realisation. ( ममत्वाचा लोप, अहम् चा विलोप).

The story is over. (The first four lines are appropriate for साधक and next four lines were for सिद्ध).
What is necessary for us is
1. to find the aim for our entire life,
2. to gather the set of values and principles for the travel towards the aim.
3. to start traveling actually towards the aim.
4. to work in a team of like minded people
5. concentrate on self-development and ego-diminishing process (eg Swami Vivelkannad and his seven-eight colleagues in Varahanagar Math for months together and individual travel across the country and at the end the Ramkrishn-Math formation. No need to harp on the number. Intensity and quality of our devotion is important.)
6. to undergo Diligent work/ travel throughout the life.
7. ध्येयावरचा, कामावरचा व स्वत: बद्दलचा दुर्दम्य आत्मविश्वास

What we are doing is part of the work entrusted to us for many lives in the past and future.

SNN