Photo by Kevin Shorter

The king said to the master, “I will give you my entire kingdom if you can tell me where god is.”

The master replied, “I will give you the entire world if you can tell me where god is not.”

Photo by Steven Martin

The master had a new disciple who was a regular churchgoer. He began to skip church when he saw that the master didn’t bother to attend. Pretty soon he began to feel pretty bad and guilty about it.

When the master learned about this, he said to the disciple, “Of what use is it to copy my actions without my motivation? If you simply stop going to church in imitation of me, that doesn’t do you any good. The monkey who strums a guitar doesn’t become a musician.”

Photo by Julianne Villaflor

The master remarked to his disciple, “Wouldn’t it be better to see God in the world?”

“What do you mean?” said the disciple.

“The preacher creates a dividing line between ‘the world’ and God — implying that there are ‘godly’ concerns and ‘worldly’ concerns. But that line is an illusion and is the cause of much strife. Witness the wife who complains that her husband spends too much time at church, or the family that is neglected in the name of God.

That is why I say it is better to see God in the world. See God in your neighbor. See God in your wife and family. See God in your work, in your every action and in every person you meet. That way, everything you do will be a godly concern,” concluded the master.

Photo by Jimilee Kalu

At night, he would study these notes, organize them and discuss the teachings with other disciples. He would often argue and debate on the meaning of ambiguous statements. He would ask the master to clarify certain thoughts, which the master sometimes did, but he often mentioned something else that would make the disciple more confused. But the disciple was persistent and would not stop until he was satisfied with an answer. Then he would write his own notes to synthesize what he had learned. He would then go to the other people and begin teaching them based on his writings.

This went on for a few years and the disciples notes had spanned several booklets. One morning, the disciple woke up and found his notes gone. He searched and searched but could not find his beloved notes. The master saw him in this agitated state and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The disciple replied, “My notes! Someone took my notes. All your precious teachings were there. I recorded them and preserved them so I would not forget them. And now they’re gone.”

“Oh,” said the master, “I took them.”

“What? What did you do with them?” said the disciple.

“It was cold last night and we had run out of wood. I needed fuel for the fire,” said the master.

“But…but…” sputtered the disciple.

“You think you have lost your life’s work and meaning. But no. In truth, I threw away your notes because they were consuming you. You think they help you understand, but in truth, they were hindering you from moving forward. When you listen to my words, don’t seize on them and make teachings out of them. My words merely hint at a truth that is inexpressible. Seek out that truth,” said the master.

Photo by moyer photos

“Why do you ask?” replied the master.

“I have to know if I should follow you or not,” said the newcomer.

“So what if I am holy? So what if I am not? A sinner can very well tell the truth, while a saint can also lead you to error. Listen to the message. Don’t be a slave to the messenger. The day you begin following me or anyone else, you cease to follow Truth,” said the master.

Original photo by Adam Selwood

“Explain further,” said the disciples, who had formed a small circle around the master.

The master gathered 4 twigs and formed a letter “M” on the ground. “Tell me what you see,” said the master.

One said, “I see an ‘M’.”

Another said, “I see 2 mountains.”

A disciple positioned sideways said, “I see ’3′.”

Another in front of the master said, “I see a ‘W’.”

And still another said, “I see the letter ‘E’.”

The master raised his hand and said, “See? You all saw reality according to how your mind perceived it. You interpreted it according to the symbols and preconceptions you have. In reality, there are only 4 twigs on the ground, nothing more.”

“I’m confused with your teaching,” said the achiever to the master. “You teach us that life is already complete and that we have to be satisfied with who we are.”

“True,” said the master.

“But if that is so, what do I do with all my goals and dreams? Do I just give them up and throw them away? Why even bother getting out of the bed in the morning if I have nothing to strive for?” said the achiever.

“Ah, that is where you are mistaken,” said the master. “You have it in your head that your goals and dreams are a means to an end — that they will somehow make you happier or more satisfied. But no matter how much you achieve, you still feel something missing inside, right?”

“Yes,” said the achiever.

“That’s because you are searching for something that isn’t there. You are grasping for something that is already in you. You are like the fish in the ocean looking for water. The moment you realize that, there will be peace, contentment, satisfaction, enlightenment,” said the master.

“So back to my question, once I’m content and happy, of what use are goals?” said the achiever.

“Do not pursue goals to in order to be happy or complete. Realize that you already are happy and complete. Rather, pursue goals as a celebration of your happiness and completeness,” said the master.

Henri Nouwen

From being a busy academic whose life was spent studying, teaching, and meeting people, he now had the daily and solitary task of caring for Adam, a young man who could not walk nor talk. Day in and day out, Nouwen would give Adam his bath, feed him, change him, and take care of his every need.

One day a reporter came to him and interviewed him regarding his change of lifestyle. The reporter asked why he chose to make this person the beneficiary of his actions and intellect, instead of the rest of the world.

Nouwen appeared surprised at the question, then said, “You are mistaken. Adam is not the beneficiary of this relationship. If anything, I am the one who is gaining more from this relationship than he is. Not him. Me.”

Photo by Dan Paluska

“Yes, definitely,” said the theologian.

“Of course not,” said the atheist.

The master smiled, then pointed to the theologian. “You are wrong,” he said.

The theologian raised an eyebrow while the atheist grinned like a schoolboy with a pocket full of candy.

The master then turned to the atheist, “Oh, but you are wrong too,” he said.

Now all three were confused. “But how can they both be wrong?” said the seeker. “What is the answer then?”

“There is no answer,” said the master.

“But why?” said the seeker.

“Because there is no question,” said the master.

Photo by Jimmy Stone

One day, a little lamb found a hole in the wall and crawled out through it. It wandered around the hills and the meadows but a wolf spotted it and started to chase it around. The lamb ran for its life but the wolf was fast and hungry and was gaining on the lamb.

Suddenly there was a loud crack as the shepherd’s club hit the wolf squarely on its skull. The shepherd picked up the lamb and carried it back home, whispering to it gently along the way. He put the lamb back in the pen.

His neighbors heard about the incident and urged him to patch up the hole in the wall.

But despite their urgings, the shepherd decided to keep the hole right where it was.