Science of the Rishis: A Daily Rhythm

Part I: The Master Key of Meditation: Why Philosophy Asks and Religion Transforms

THE JAPANESE MASTER NAN-IN GAVE AUDIENCE TO A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY. SERVING TEA, NAN-IN FILLED HIS VISITOR’S CUP, AND KEPT POURING. THE PROFESSOR WATCHED THE OVERFLOW UNTIL HE COULD RESTRAIN HIMSELF NO LONGER: STOP! THE CUP IS OVERFULL, NO MORE WILL GO IN. NAN-IN SAID: LIKE THIS CUP, YOU ARE FULL OF YOUR OWN OPINIONS AND SPECULATIONS. HOW CAN I SHOW YOU ZEN UNLESS YOU FIRST EMPTY YOUR CUP?

You have come to an even more dangerous person than Nan-in, because an empty cup won’t do; the cup has to be broken completely. Even empty, if you are there, then you are full. Even emptiness fills you. If you feel that you are empty you are not empty at all, you are there. Only the name has changed: now you call yourself emptiness. The cup won’t do at all; it has to be broken completely. Only when you are not can the tea be poured into you. Only when you are not is there no need really to pour the tea into you. When you are not the whole existence begins pouring, the whole existence becomes a shower from every dimension, from every direction. When you are not, the divine is.

The story is beautiful. It was bound to happen to a professor of philosophy. The story says a professor of philosophy came to Nan-in. He must have come for the wrong reasons because a professor of philosophy, as such, is always wrong. Philosophy means intellect, reasoning, thinking, argumentativeness. And this is the way to be wrong, because you cannot be in love with existence if you are argumentative. Argument is the barrier. If you argue, you are closed; the whole existence closes to you. Then you are not open and existence is not open to you.

When you argue, you assert. Assertion is violence, aggression, and the truth cannot be known by an aggressive mind, the truth cannot be discovered by violence. You can come to know the truth only when you are in love. But love never argues. There is no argument in love, because there is no aggression. And remember, not only was that man a professor of philosophy, you are also the same. Every man carries his own philosophy, and every man in his own way is a professor, because you profess your ideas, you believe in them. You have opinions, concepts and because of opinions and concepts your eyes are dull, they cannot see; your mind is stupid, it cannot know.

Ideas create stupidity because the more the ideas are there, the more the mind is burdened. And how can a burdened mind know? The more ideas are there, the more it becomes just like dust which has gathered on a mirror. How can the mirror mirror? How can the mirror reflect? Your intelligence is just covered by opinions, the dust, and everyone who is opinionated is bound to be stupid and dull. That’s why professors of philosophy are almost always stupid. They know too much to know at all. They are burdened too much. They cannot fly in the sky, they can’t have wings. And they are so much in the mind, they can’t have roots in the earth. They are not grounded in the earth and they are not free to fly into the sky.

And remember, you are all the same. There may be differences of quantity, but every mind is qualitatively the same, because mind thinks, argues, collects and gathers knowledge and becomes dull. Only children are intelligent. And if you can retain your childhood, if you continuously reclaim your childhood, you will remain innocent and intelligent. If you gather dust, childhood is lost, innocence is no more; the mind has become dull and stupid. Now you can have philosophies. The more philosophies you have, the more you are far away from the divine.

A religious mind is a nonphilosophical mind. A religious mind is an innocent, intelligent mind. The mirror is clear, the dust has not been gathered; and every day a continuous cleaning goes on. That’s what I call meditation.

This professor of philosophy came to Nan-in. He must have come for wrong reasons: he must have come to receive some answers. Those people who are filled with questions are always in search of answers. And Nan-in could not give an answer. It is foolish to be concerned with questions and answers. Nan-in could give you a new mind, Nan-in could give you a new being, Nan-in could give you a new existence in which no questions arise, but Nan-in was not interested in answering any particular questions.He was not interested in giving answers. Neither am I.

You must have come here with many questions. It is bound to be so, because the mind gives birth to questions. Mind is a question-creating mechanism.Feed anything into it, out comes a question, and many questions follow. Give an answer to it, and immediately it converts it into many questions. You are here filled with many questions, your cup is already full. No need for Nan-in to pour any tea into it, you are already overflowing.

I can give you a new existence – that’s why I have invited you here – I will not give you any answers. All questions, all answers, are useless, just a wastage of energy. But I can transform you, and that is the only answer. And that one answer solves all questions.

Philosophy has many questions, many answers — millions. Religion has only one answer; whatsoever the question the answer remains the same. Buddha used to say: You taste sea water from anywhere, the taste remains the same, the saltiness of it.

Whatsoever you ask is really irrelevant. I will answer the same because I have got only one answer. But that one answer is like a master key; it opens all doors. It is not concerned with any particular lock — any lock and the key opens it. Religion has only one answer and that answer is meditation. And meditation means how to empty yourself.

The professor must have been tired, walking long, when he reached Nan-in’s cottage. And Nan-in said, “Wait a little.” He must have been in a hurry. Mind is always in a hurry, and mind is always in search of instantaneous realizations. To wait, for the mind, is very difficult, almost impossible. Nan-in said, “I will prepare tea for you. You look tired. Wait a little, rest a little, and have a cup of tea. And then we can discuss.”

Nan-in boiled the water and started preparing the tea. But he must have been watching the professor. Not only was the water boiling, the professor was also boiling within. Not only was the tea kettle making sounds, the professor was making more sounds within, chattering, continuously talking. The professor must have been getting ready — what to ask, how to ask, from where to begin. He must have been in a deep monologue. Nan-in must have been smiling and watching: This man is too full, so much so that nothing can penetrate into him. The answer cannot be given because there is no one to receive it. The guest cannot enter into the house-there is no room. Nan-in must have wanted to become a guest in this professor.

Theory – Stop Boiling, Start Being: Leaving Questions Behind for True Presence

Mindful Workplace (Sattva): Athithi Devo Bhava (Receptive Listening over Aggression) – Treating the visitor/other with deep reverence and hospitality.

• Workplace Practice: As highlighted in the text, argumentativeness closes the mind. In meetings, refrain from mentally preparing your counterargument while someone else is speaking. Practice listening with an empty cup – without trying to win, prove superior intellect, or instantly correct others.