Welcome to Zen parables with Ekta.
The essence of Zen is to go beyond identification.
The essence of Zen is diving into nothingness.
The essence of Zen is in dissolving into the silence beyond thoughts.
A lot of thoughts arise when we listen to a Zen parable.
Remember they are not your thoughts.
They are simply thoughts.
Don't serve them tea.
Don't get attached.
Let them come.
Let them go.
The name of this Zen parable is the Stone Cutter.
Once upon a time,
There was a stone cutter who was very dissatisfied with his position in life.
He wanted to be strong.
He wanted to be powerful.
One day he passed by a wealthy merchant's house.
He noticed all the delightful treasures and thought to himself that how great would it be to be a rich merchant.
Having lots of treasures and lots of friends.
Immediately he became the rich merchant.
With lots of treasures,
Lots of friends.
But he soon got bored.
One day an official came to meet him.
This official had gongs,
Attendants,
Everybody bowed to him.
They listened to him with rapt attention.
And this merchant thought,
Oh to be powerful like the official.
And soon his wish came true.
He became very powerful like the official.
He went about his day,
Carried on a luxurious life.
He kept spreading fear and hatred among the towns and villages.
But on a very hot sunny day,
He grew tired and he looked up at the sun and he said,
I wish I could be as powerful as that sun.
And he became the sun.
He started pounding on everybody's backs and causing farmers' brows to sweat.
But soon a huge angry cloud smothered the sun,
Obscuring the stonecutter's view of the world and dampening his scorching hot rays.
He grumbled,
Oh wish I could be as powerful and clever like the cloud.
He immediately turned into a cloud.
He felt himself being pushed and pulled and tugged in all directions by the wind.
And then he said,
Oh to be strong like the wind,
How I long to be the wind.
And he became the wind.
He started uprooting trees and started causing havoc.
He had a lot of fun troubling people until it was too late and he ran into a large unyielding rock.
He said,
My goodness,
What power and strength.
If only I could be this great rock.
And soon he became the rock.
He felt strong,
Powerful,
Huge,
Untouchable.
But very soon he heard the chilling sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into his hard surface.
He looked up and what did he see?
He looked at another stone cutter.
Life comes around in circles.
