In the here and now I am feeding the birds

 There is an anecdote about the Zen monk, Bokoju. One morning he woke up and immediately called his chief disciple, telling him, ”Listen, I have had a dream. Can you analyze it for me?” The disciple said, ”Wait! I will bring a little water. First wash your face.”

 

He brought a pot full of water and helped the master wash his face and hands. While he was doing that another disciple was passing by. The master said, ”Listen, I had this dream. Will you analyze it for me?”

 

He said, ”Just wait... it is better I bring a cup of tea for you” – and he brought him a cup of tea. The master had a good belly laugh. He said, ”If you had analyzed my dream I would have beaten you and thrown you out!”

 

What analysis can a dream have? Now you have seen it, you are awake, now drop the whole circus! The disciples gave the correct answer. It was a test, their examination – the moment of testing had come. One disciple brought water to wash the master’s hands and face. ”The dream is gone, now be finished with it! What more analysis? – the dream was a dream, it is finished. What analysis? The truth can be analyzed, but a dream? Can the false be analyzed? Can what never happened be analyzed? It is enough to know it was a dream; now wash your face. Now you have come back, just come out of it.”

 

The other youth also did well, bringing a cup to tea: ”You’ve washed your face, but it seems there is still a little sleep left. Enjoy a cup of tea and you will be completely awake.”

 

This is what I am telling you: ”Wash your face, drink your tea! You were never separate – there is no way to be separate.”

 

OSHO

 

A “thought-feeling-energy” pops to the surface and the insight goes, “Yes, my finances benefit from the latest Federal Reserve Bank announcement, but what do you want me to do with it?” No response, it was just another feel-good personality hack and soon shall be followed by a negative commentary.

 

I go down the stairs and another “thought-feeling-energy” pops up and the insight goes, “Yes, the birdfeeder needs refilling. Yuck, I hate going out when it is so cold!” You see, responding to the personal finance commentary is like analyzing Bokuju’s dream while feeding the birds is preparing a cup of tea in the morning.