wanderling

ZEN ENLIGHTENMENT
2001-11-13 00:53:34 (UTC)

A MENTOR AWAKENS

Continued from previous entry THE MAHARSHI, 10-13-01...

After a year of studying, meditating, and working at stoop
labor in and around the fields near the ashrama, he took to
taking long solitary pilgrimages into the mountains. One
morning high in the mountains he was waiting in his usual
spot to watch the sunrise. That morning when the very first
glint of light pierced the very top edge of the distant
mountains the rays fell across his eyes and shot straight
through his pupils directly into his brain. His mind
exploded. He actually thought he had physically blown to
bits in a brilliant flash of light, that the whole back of
his head had been blown off and opened to eternity. The
initial sensations abated in a series of bodily
contractions and convulsions, leaving him shaking and
trembling. Rubbing his arms he could see he was still alive
and whole. Never was he so exhilerated, like walking on
air, his insides bursting with pleasure. He wanted to yell
to the whole world how wonderful he felt, and although
there wasn't a fellow human being around for miles to hear
his exuberance, he ran down the mountain path toward the
forester's hut where he stayed yelling and screaming like a
crazy man.

Losing his forward balance and falling several times
because of his speed over the trail's uneven surface, he
stumbled toward the hut's rough-hewn wooden door, tired,
bruised, and out of breath. The sun was just now beginning
to fall in a warm sunrise glow against the irregular flat
stones used to form the wall of the isolated cabin, pushing
back from the rocks the night's cold chill. Leaning on the
wall at arms length in order to catch his breath he turned
to see the sun rising above the mountains amongst
translucent gray clouds, shining with irridescent glowing
edges and allowing curtains of light to cascade in beams to
the valley below.

He fell to his knees, spreading his arms at length as if in
homage. The sun warmed his bare face and hands and he could
feel his musty sweater absorb the same tender warmth. There
was no longer a just in front in front of him, but a
penetrating all-around aroundness all around him...and a
strange calmness he had never experienced before.

After eating and resting, he gathered what few belongings
he had and made the trek back to the ashrama. All along the
way passerbys and field workers, who always before had
seemed to busy tending crops or watching their animals to
pay much attention to him, stopped to recognize his
presence, be friendly, bow or nod. Back at the ashrama he
made conference with the Maharshi, bidding him farewell,
and thanking him for allowing him to stay. Gracefully he
explained he felt he no longer had need of the venerable
one's services. The Maharshi, sitting crosslegged on his
mat as he almost always did, looked at him for the longest
time and with only a slight smile passing his lips, in a
brief gesture of dismissal, told him that in reality he
never did. The following day, after years in India and
Asia, he was on his way back to Europe, shortly thereafter,
returning to the states.

To be continued...

NOTE: For those who may have an interest, further writings
and offerings by the Wanderling regarding Zen and
Enlightenment can be found by going to the Google search
engine and typing in the word wanderling.




Ad: