A Lesson from a Zen Master

A wrestler named O-Nami, "great waves", was immensely strong and highly skilled in the art of wrestling. In private he defeated his very teacher, but in public, his own young pupils could throw him. In his trouble, he went to a Zen master who was stopping at a nearby temple by the sea and asked for counsel. "Great Waves is your name," said the master, so stay in the temple tonight and listen to the waves of the sea. Imagine you are those waves, forget you are a wrestler, and become those huge waves sweeping everything before them. He tried to think only of the waves, but he thought of many things. Then gradually he did think only of the waves. They rolled larger and larger as the night wore on. They swept away the flowers in the vases before the Buddha, they swept away the vases. Even the bronze Buddha had swept away. By dawn, the temple was only surging water, and O-Nami sat there with a faint smile on his face. That day he entered the public wrestling contest and won every bout, and from that day no one in Japan could ever throw him. Creativity by Osho

The story is pregnant with hidden insights. Let's dissect and understand it bit by bit.

A wrestler named O-Nami, "great waves" was immensely strong...

You cannot see an atom with your naked eyes. Still, it has tremendous energy that is enough to destroy giant cities like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. You are made of infinite atoms. Imagine the energy and potential that lies within you. O-Nami means great waves. Waves are part of an ocean. They can't exist without the ocean. Similarly, you are part of a divine God. The entire ocean of wisdom is within you. Still, you consider yourself weak and worthless. You have identified yourself with a tiny wave and forgot about the ocean but the ocean still remembers you. His doors are always open for you.

Why do you forget the giant ocean within you?

Divine god is so close to you that you forgot about him. You are searching for him in the wrong places. An analogy of breathing will be a great help. Are you aware of your breathing? No, not at all. Why not? because it is close to you. You become aware of it only when you have a cold. Human beings value those things that are miles apart from them. The diamond that is so close to them, they take it for granted. Beware of this fact before it is too late. Seeking strength in fame, status, politics is like building a castle on the sand. All of them are impermanent. If you want to pursue, pursue something worthwhile. Be in search of a changeless, infinite source of divinity within you that will become the source of bliss, joy, and happiness of your life.

In private, he defeated his very teacher, but in public, his own young pupils could throw him...

A very deep statement. In private, he is conscious but not self-conscious. They are opposite poles of each other. In consciousness, you forget about the wave and become one with your inner center. In self-consciousness, you are identified with circumference and forget about the center. Why is it so? Yes, you guessed it right. The ego acts as a hindrance. It is a curtain that is separating you from the source of bliss(your divine nature). The core teaching of all religions is the dissolution of the ego.

Ego and God can't exist at the same time. There exists a xor operation between your ego and your divine nature. There is a truth in Kabir's statement, "When the seeker is there, sought is not and when sought is found, seeker no longer exists." In private, O-Nami forgot his ego and become one with his divine nature. Hence, defeated his own teacher but in public, his self-consciousness(ego) was the cause of his defeat.

You might ask where does the ego lie? Can you see it? Is it something tangible?

Having too many conflicts with others is an indication of ego. It is so subtle. Harmony is possible only when you destroy the bridge of ego.

In his trouble, he went to the Zen master who was stopping at a nearby temple by the sea and asked for counsel...

Master is very important to propel in any field. A great master knows the instrument that makes the best out of his disciple. Using his experience and wisdom, he helps his disciple to overcome their weaknesses and fortify their strength. Always follow your master's advice that is used to navigate unknown territory.

"Great Waves is your name," said the master...

O-Nami, you are the living embodiment of infinite strength.

So stay in this temple tonight and listen to the waves of the sea...

Zen master was suggesting O-Nami, learn the art of listening. Mouth and ears are in the ratio of 1:2 so that you can listen more and speak less. Listening means you have to become receptive, passive like a womb. You can't reach the kingdom of God through aggression and ego. The eyes are very aggressive. People get offended if you stare at them for more than a few seconds. You are trespassing into their private space. Aggression wastes your energy. Rest is needed to rejuvenate yourself. Ears are passive and receptive. They don't need any rest.

Surrender and egolessness are necessary to attain the kingdom of God. Zen master was very wise. He instructed O-Nami to learn the art of listening. Ego is against surrender. You can't listen if you have an ego. A surrender is needed. All great artists have mastered the art of listening. They enter into solitude and listen to the chirping of birds, the sweet voice of the rain, and feels the sensation when a cool breeze kisses their cheeks. Their art reflects all these things.

Imagine you are those waves, forget you are a wrestler, and become those huge waves sweeping over them...

Listening breaks the shell of the ego. A new phenomenon arises in O-Nami, he became more creative and imaginative. He started getting a glimpse of his divinity. He imagined himself as huge waves. All these transformations were happening inside O-Nami. He forgot the distinction between reality and dreaming. He forgot his self-consciousness.

O-Nami remained. He tried to think only of waves, but he thought of many things. Then gradually he did think of waves...

Activity is the nature of the mind. Initially, O-Nami was restless. As he listened himself, the flame of awareness silenced his thoughts. He was getting more and more closer to his strength. Now he becomes bigger than his thoughts. He became one with waves. In fact, he became a huge wave.

They swept away the flowers in the vases before the Buddha, they swept away the vases. Even the bronze Buddha had swept away...

Wow! an insightful instruction. People are so attached to their religion, ideologies that it becomes so difficult to think beyond them. This was the rigorous test for O-Nami. He was a Buddhist by religion. To sweep the vase of flowers before Buddha seems like atheism. Not only the vase of flowers, but even the Buddha had also swept away. It signifies, O-Nami was not attached to anything.

By dawn, the temple was only surging water, and O-Nami sat there with a faint smile on his face...

He became enlightened and was overflowing with bliss and happiness. His smile was like the smile of Buddha which he attained during his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

That day he entered the public wrestling contest and won every bout, and from that day no one in Japan could ever throw him.

O-Nami realized that he was no longer a wave but an ocean of huge energy. How can someone defeat a man who knows the source of his infinite energy.