Simple Rice Pounder

Once there was a big monastery in one part of China. Where about 500 marks lived. They were all practicing path of self realization under their master. One day he man went to monastery to become disciple. He said to Zen master. Sir, I want to know myself. I want to know the truth. Dozen master looked at him and said. If you want to know the truth, then you will have to put your whole life at stake. In this lifetime, you will get to know the truth. Are you ready for that? The disciple said. So I have come here not to turn back. I am ready for it. The master said. If that is all. Then do one thing. There are 500 monks in this monastery. You take care of their rice pounding. Just keep waiting. Rise from morning till evening when you get tired. Go to sleep. And then you wake up in the morning, then again start pounding rains. Don’t do anything else. Don’t think about anything else. Just follow this path. Also, don’t come to me again. I will come to you myself when needed. The young man started pounding rise as per the instructions of his master.

There were 500 disciples in that monastery. All of them needed food at times. Therefore, he would get up early in the morning and start pounding rise till night. When he was tried, he would fall asleep in the same room where he was pounding rivers. He would neither talk to anyone, nor anyone would come to him to talk. For a few months while pounding the rise, all thoughts kept coming to his mind. But when the thoughts do not get new subject. They also fade away on their own. Slowly and slowly, his thoughts started to subside. After a few years, he even forgot his name. He would always keep mum and keep pounding rise in thoughtless state. He would neither meditate nor read any scripture. The chief disciples of the monastery. Considered in full and much inferior to them. 12 years passed by doing this.

After 12 years. One day. Zen Master announced that now my last time is approaching and I have to choose my successor. Who will be the head of this monastery after me? Therefore, any of my disciple who has become self realized should come and write few lines near my door at night. Few lines that cover all his experience. Many disciples thought of doing so. One of the chief disciples of the monastery went there and wrote few lines. He was very knowledgeable of Buddhist scripture. All the disciples considered him to be the possible successor of their master. He wrote that

mind is like a mirror on which dust of thoughts and desires accumulates. To sweep away this dust is meditation. Who’s dust has been cleared and the mirror of the mind has become clear. He has attained salvation.

When the master woke up in the morning and saw these lines, he got very angry and said which idiot has written all this garbage on my wall. The chief disciple kept silent.

However, the lines he wrote for full of wisdom. But it was all bookish knowledge. The chief disciple was very clever. He wrote the lines but did not sign below. Because he himself was not sure about it. Whether it is right or not. Since he was not self realized, the master completely rejected those lines. Everyone was surprised to see this. This incident became a topic of discussion in the entire monastery.

Two disciples while talking on this topic, passed by the disciple who had come here 12 years ago and used to pound rice, day and night. He laughed gently after listening to the discussion of both of them. Both the disciples asked him. Why are you laughing? They asked him because that responder was a very insignificant monk in their opinion. No one had ever seen him reading Scripture or meditating. Everyone considered him to be fool, who just keeps pounding rise. There were great scholar in that monastery. And that rice pounder did not even mean anything to them. That’s why they were amazed to see him smile. They again asked him. Why did you laugh? The Rice Pounder said. I laughed because master is saying right. All these lines are garbage. These lines have no value. Those disciples were shocked. They asked him, can you write some lines which are better than this? The rice, Ponder said. Well, I can’t write because I am illiterate, but yes, I can say few lines and if you can write those lines then I am ready to go with you. They agreed. So they went near the master’s room. The responder said few lines and the other disciple wrote it on the wall. And wrote rice pounder below those lines. They were expecting same reaction from their master again. The lines which you told to wrote were amazing. And those lines were.

Mind is just an illusion. There is neither mind nor there is any mirror of mind. And then the mind does not exist. Where will the dust settle? He who know this has known the truth.

Then the master saw these lines. He got up in the middle of the night and came to the young rice pounder while he was asleep. He woke him up and said. Take this, take my stake, and take my robe. From today onwards, you are my successor. But leave this monastery right now and go some far away from here. I know that there are so many scholars in this monastery. Who considers themselves to be superior than you? They will kill you because they cannot tolerate the fact that a simple responder has become enlightened, whereas they could not be. You have got all that I have. And you have got it while pounding rice. And I know that wherever you will go. People will start coming to you. Because then the flower blooms, its fragrance starts spreading everywhere. That Rice founder touched the feet of his master. And left from there in the night. If we see in our lives, we will find that many people think that meditation can only be done by sitting at one place with closed eyes. But in reality it is not like that. Meditation can be practiced even while walking. Meditation can also be done even while doing some work.

What we can get from this story is as much as you get away from selfness (the idea for someone exist called you) you will find the happiness and will be able to see the truth. The way to do that is practice meditation and it doesn’t has to be special practice with certain poses and all necessarily. You can meditate while you are working or doing your day today activities. Try to focus on something other than your self.