Zen

A SUDDEN CLASH OF THUNDER

Chapter 10: Towards Nothingness

Question 5

 

 

Energy Enhancement                Enlightened Texts                Zen                 A Sudden Clash of Thunder

 

 

The fifth question:

Question 5

ARE YOU HOLDING MY ROPE? DOES THAT SCARE YOU?

I HAVE told you one story -- the question is concerned with that story -- about the botanist who lowered his son with a rope round his waist into a deep valley in the Himalayas. It was difficult to reach in any other way to the flowers that were flowering in the valley. The father was, of course, afraid, scared. The child was enjoying -- mm? -- it was a beautiful adventure. He was thrilled. But the father was afraid.

The child reached down, he plucked the flowers. The father shouted from the top, "Are you okay, little one? Are you not afraid?"

The child laughed -- the whole valley echoed his laughter -- and he said, "Why should I be afraid when you, my father, are holding the rope? Why should I be afraid?"

The questioner asks: "Are you holding my rope? Does that scare you?"

Now this is a totally different situation. In the first place, I am not holding any rope -- because any rope will create a bondage for you. In the second place, I have not lowered you into the valley to pick flowers -- I have lowered you into the valley to disappear.... You cannot look back, and you cannot look at the top and say, "You are holding the rope." Even if I managed to give you the notion that I am holding your rope, it is all false. It is just a trick to lower you down -- there is no rope! And once lowered you cannot come back, because there is no way. Why should I be scared?

And it is not a question of picking some flowers there -- it is a question of disappearing completely. I am sending you towards nothingness. I am sending you towards ultimate death. Yes, in the beginning I pretend that I am binding a rope around your waist: this mala, etc. This is the rope! I have to persuade you. Once you are persuaded... gone.

My whole effort is to help you to disappear. My whole effort is to help you to be so empty: anatta -- non-being. Because if you are, you will remain in trouble. If you are, you will remain limited. If you are, there will be a definition to your being -- and you will never be overflowing. Only emptiness can be overflowing, only emptiness can be at ease. Only emptiness can be life abundant. To be, the way passes through non-being.

If you really want to be, you will have to drop all concepts of your being. You will have to disappear, by and by. You will have to melt into nothingness.

Yes, I am lowering you, and I convince you that the rope is in my hand -- you don't be worried. I have to do that to give you courage. The rope is non-existential. You will come to know about it -- that the rope is non-existential -- but you will come to know only when there is no question of returning. You will not be able to return. And you will be happy that there is no rope. You will be happy that there is no way to return. You will be happy that I persuaded you to disappear. You will feel grateful, eternally grateful.

Right now it may be difficult to understand what I am saying. You are the trouble; you are the anxiety, the anguish; you are the disease. In total health, you will not find yourself: the total health is a zero experience. That zero experience is what religious people have called the God experience.

I am not scared at all -- I am simply laughing. And the day you understand, you will also not be scared. You will also laugh from the valley, and the valley will re echo your laughter.

 

Next: Chapter 10: Towards Nothingness, Question 6

 

Energy Enhancement                Enlightened Texts                Zen                 A Sudden Clash of Thunder

 

 

Chapter 10

 

 

 

 
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