Osho comments on a Zen story: “This is the way of Zen. It is the most unique phenomenon in the whole world of religions.”
Hakuju, a great Zen-Master, served as a distinguished lecturer at the Tendai-Sect College. As he was lecturing with his customary zeal on the Chinese Classics one hot summer’s afternoon, he noticed that a few of the students were dozing off. He stopped his lecturing in mid-sentence and said: “It’s a hot afternoon, isn’t it? Can’t blame you for going to sleep. Mind if I join you?”
With this, Hakuju shut his textbook and, leaning well back in his chair, fell asleep. The class was dumbfounded and those who had been dozing were awakened by his snores. All sat up in their seats and waited for the Master to awaken.
This you can find only in Zen literature, this possibility of being so human, of being so imperfect and yet unworried about it. A tremendous acceptance of all that is, of sleep, of snoring. […]
This is the way of Zen. It is the most unique phenomenon in the whole world of religions. Zen is the highest peak that religion has attained yet. It is the sanest religion.
Osho, The First Principle, Ch 5
Series compiled by Shanti
All excerpts of this series can be found in: 1001 Tales
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