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Dialogue of the Masters
This Dialogue is the direct result of a creative assignment for a Religious Studies class I took at Penn State. It attempts to reflect the viewpoints of three Eastern religions--Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism--by setting up a dialogue among the various leader of those traditions. I chose Krishna to represent Hinduism not because he is a complete representation of the Hindu faith; in fact, many Hindus do not believe that Krishna is the Complete Manifestation of God or Ultimate Reality. Instead, I chose Krishna because his dialogue in the Bhagavad Gita--one of the most famous Hindu texts--reflects many of the Hindu beliefs and practices. He combines the concepts of action, knowledge, meditation, and devotion into a powerful message of spiritual freedom.
The Buddha, of course, represents the Buddhist viewpoint. Although the Buddha's testament of not-Self (anatman) appears to conflict with Krishna claim to be the Ultimate Self, I attempt to reconcile the viewpoints by passing them off as mere technicalities or different ways of describing the same situation. Lao-tzu serves almost as a meeting point of the two Indian masters. As the spokesman for Taoism, Lao-tzu, like Krishna, attempts to describe Ultimate Reality, which he calls the Tao. However, he concedes much more readily than Krishna that the Tao escapes classification and description. The Buddha also stands firm in refusing to describe Nirvana and what Krishna calls "the Self" by only referring to what they are not. Discussion and concern of anything besides reaching Nirvana is useless and often detrimental, the Buddha says.
In completing this work, I do not allow the three to squabble. I cannot envision profoundly enlightened individuals arguing over concepts or philosophy--mere mental constructs. Instead I let them make their point with equal merit, allowing the reader to chose the most suiting philosophy. Perhaps later I will expand the dialogue to include Western masters: Jesus, Muhammed, Moses (?), and maybe even philosophers and scientists (Einstein, Heisenberg, Newton, Nietzche, Plato, etc.). Of course I will have to narrow the field considerably, or else the dialogue could soon turn into a chaotic squabble dominated by the unenlightened philosophers and scientists. Hence, "Wise men don't need to prove their point." If you have any suggestions, please e-mail me: [email protected].
The Dialogue ...
I have heard that the Old Master Lao-tzu, after departing from his native country through the Hsien-ku pass, traveled through China across many mountains to India. A young disciple of the Tathagata found him wandering and, thinking him to be an arhant, inquired upon him. "Are you convening with the Blessed One this evening?" Lao-tzu answered, to the monk�s surprise, "You and I convene with the One this moment." Immediately, the young monk gained enlightenment, entreating Lao-tzu to meet the Buddha.
Lao-tzu and the monk traveled twenty miles across to the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary near Rajagaha, where the Blessed One was staying. Upon arriving they found the Buddha in conversation with two others, his disciples waiting fifty yards south for his command. "Ah," he said, addressing the monk, "You�ve grasped it! And who have you brought with you?" "This is Lao-tzu. He comes from the east across the mountains." "Hello Lao-tzu," said the Buddha, "I�ve just been talking to Krishna and Pari Vnajaka sitting here next to me." "Yes," said Pari Vnajaka, "I come from a group of wanderers who live to the north. I was just asking Lord Krishna and His Holiness some questions concerning the nature of the universe and release from suffering." Lao-tzu replied, "Truly, grasping creates such suffering." With that Pari Vnajaka invited Lao-tzu to join the Buddha, Krishna and himself as he asked questions.
And, after a brief period of meditation, this is the dialogue that followed:
Pari Vnajaka: Before investigation of your teachings, I would like to pose the question, How do you decide upon what you teach to your followers? Lord Krishna, I believe you were about to answer that.
Krishna: I teach to allow my disciple to reach Me. The yogic practice used is dependent upon the practitioner, so long as he realizes My love through his practice.
Pari Vnajaka: And who are you?
Krishna: I am the Lord. Brahman is my ultimate manifestation. I am the supreme Self, the first cause of all beings, the source of all creation (Vyasa 85, 125-127, 186).
Pari Vnajaka: Krishna, you have such power? How can I know this is true?
Krishna began playing the flute he had at his side as Pari Vnajaka turned and found the monks dancing with laughter around a tree. Pari Vnajaka was overcome with fear and devotion as he turned back to Krishna.
Krishna: You now have the divine eye to see my true nature.
Suddenly, Pari Vnajaka saw Krishna�s face open. The entire universe emerging from his eyes, Krishna displayed countless miracles, priceless jewels, and infinite personages to Pari Vnajaka. As it is written, "If a thousand suns were to rise in the heavens at the same time, the blaze of their light would resemble the splendor of that supreme spirit" (Vyasa 151). Pari Vnajaka turned to the other two for a response. To his surprise the Buddha and Lao-tzu seemed completely at peace with Krishna�s effect on the Tathagata�s monks and seemed to sense no change in Krishna�s appearance.
Pari Vnajaka: Blessed One! Lao-tzu! How can you respond?!
Lao-tzu: When I looked into my heart, I discovered my teachings (Lao-tzu 21). I teach what I see�not-knowing and not-doing.
Buddha: I teach a handful of leaves out of the entire forest of knowledge. That handful of knowledge is what pertains only to the goal�Nirvana. I don�t teach what doesn�t lead to the end of stress (Simsapa Sutta; Saddhatissa 73).
Pari Vnajaka: Yes, Blessed One, but then how can the universe be described?
Buddha: Only in the sense that it leads to the end of stress.
Krishna: Yes, the doctrine taught must inevitably lead to such release and ultimately to darsan, Myself.
Pari Vnajaka (overcome with devotion): And please Lord, can you tell us of your nature?
Krishna: Very well. There exists a Self, never born, never dead, beyond all change. The highest form of the universe is Brahman, also my highest nature. I am both Brahman and Self. As I once told Arjuna before the Great Battle, "I am the beginning, middle, and end of creation. � I am death, which overcomes all, and the source of all beings still to be born. � Without me nothing can exist, neither animate nor inanimate" (Vyasa 145). But there is no end to the description of my infinitudes, it being impossible to characterize me completely (Vyasa 146).
Pari Vnajaka: So, is reality impossible to understand?
Lao-tzu: The True Way is indescribable and the intellect cannot grasp it (Lao-tzu 32). You see, problems arise when attempting to define what you call reality. By talking of it, we condition and limit it. That is why, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao" (Lao-tzu 1).
Buddha: In the same way, I won�t talk about Nirvana. Speculation on the nature of reality is useless, in that it does not lead to enlightenment. It�s like the man who was shot by a poison arrow and refused to pull it out until he knew all about the arrow�its speed, direction, material, construction�and about the archer�his name, clan, where he was born, his skin tone. The man would die before such things were revealed to him. In the same way, the man who wants to know about the cosmos�whether it is eternal, whether spiritual enlightenment means knowledge of such things, etc.�will surely die before he finds out (Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta). Instead, appropriate concerns are having few desires, contentment, seclusion, non-entanglement, arousing persistence, virtue, concentration, discernment, release, and wisdom (Kathavatthu Sutta).
Pari Vnajaka: But Holy One, I have heard that you speak on the nature of things�that they are without Self, and impermanent.
Buddha: I can�t justify philosophical speculation on its own, but certain views are helpful in attainment. So, I do concede the following: The body, the world and everything conceivable are inherently without Self�they do not belong to us. Such things also are not eternal, but change (Simsapa Sutta). Having these views allows us to be free from desire for ourselves and the things around us�detachment.
Pari Vnajaka: Krishna, does the Buddha�s idea of no Self conflict with your claim to be the Self?
Krishna: Externally, it may appear so. After all, I do appear to exist here in front of you. But the goal of detachment is very strong for such argument. I have said that I love the one who is "living beyond the reach of I and mine" (Vyasa 69). However, faith and devotion toward Myself can effect spiritual change, and therefore are useful toward the goal.
Pari Vnajaka: Buddha, why do you not concede that there is a Self?
Buddha: First I think that speculation on the existence of a Self is primarily philosophical, the product of tradition and hearsay, and does not pertain to the goal. Next, I would ask, How does belief in a Self affect the aspirant in pursuing the goal? If it breeds attachment, which I think it does, then it must be eliminated. So I teach body is not-self, mind is not-self, senses are not-self, consciousness is not-self, and so on, until there is no conditioned Self to which one can hold (Na Tumhaka Sutta).
Pari Vnajaka: I would like to approach this idea of release from suffering, but I still have a few questions about the nature of things. Buddha, I have also heard that you make statements concerning an unbecome.
Buddha: I often describe the nature of the end of suffering to direct my disciple�s minds toward the goal. I have said that the end of stress is "the sphere of neither earth, nor water, fire, wind, the infinitude of space � nor the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, neither coming nor going, neither passing nor arising" (Nibbana Suttas). But have I really said what it is? No, I�ve only stated what it isn�t. I�ve also said that there is an unborn�unbecome�unmade�unfabricated. This may be what you�re talking about, Pari Vnajaka. I make this statement because it clarifies that freedom from the born�become�made�fabricated is possible (Nibbana Suttas). But you can't take these statements as objective statements about reality. I am merely a finger pointing at the moon. If you mistake my finger as the moon, you surely won�t get it.
Pari Vnajaka: Lao-tzu, you have not spoken in a while. Do you have any comments?
Lao-tzu: I find Buddha�s statements very wise. The view that all reality is in flux is particularly important in achieving the Way. I have said, "If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to" (Lao-tzu 74). Those who try to control the future I liken to the apprentice who attempted to use the tools of the master carpenter. He ended up cutting his hand (Lao-tzu 74). The Master lets things do as they please without attachment.
Pari Vnajaka: How do you respond to the statements Buddha made about philosophical speculation?
Lao-tzu: I once wrote, "The Way cannot be perceived. � The more you know, the less you understand" (Lao-tzu 32, 47). This is ultimately true, for any perception or speculation of truth implies grasping to that perception. And grasping creates delusion and pain. Instead of learning, the practice of Tao involves unlearning and not-knowing (Lao-tzu 48).
Pari Vnajaka: Why can�t the Way be perceived?
Lao-tzu: The Way is beyond language, because language involves dualities. For the soft, something must be hard. For the good, something must be bad. For the long, something must be short (Lao-tzu 2). If the Way is beyond such characterization�as Buddha says, "I am simply pointing at the moon."�it cannot be perceived or described. Therefore, the Way does not take sides, and neither does the Master (Lao-tzu 5). Often I use the paradox to point the Way, because the technique takes two things opposite in nature and connects them or reverses their roles. The statements break down the philosophical mind. They somehow make sense and yet escape all logic. For instance, I have written, "The Tao is the Great Mother: empty yet inexhaustible. � Smaller than an electron, it contains countless galaxies" (Lao-tzu 6, 32). How are such things possible? Because the Tao is beyond even these descriptions, however great they may be. "Since before time and space were, the Tao is. It is beyond is and is not" (Lao-tzu 21).
Pari Vnajaka: Where did the Tao come from?
Lao-tzu: Can the Tao be described as being? If we did describe it as such, we could say that it was created by non-being. But then we would condition the Tao by not including non-being in its description. Therefore, being and non-being must be born of the Tao. As for the Tao, "I do not know who created it. It is older than God" (Lao-tzu 4).
Krishna: Excellent. That is the true knowledge that leads to the goal. To know Brahman�not being and not non-being. "Dwelling in every heart, it is beyond darkness. It is called the light of lights, the object and goal of knowledge, and knowledge itself" (Vyasa 171).
Pari Vnajaka: Before we continue, I would like to ask Krishna about the origin of things.
Krishna: The Self cannot die as I have said. But it has also never been born. What does this mean? I have said, "One man believes he is the slayer, another believes he is the slain. Both are ignorant; there is neither slayer nor slain. You were never born; you will never die. You have never changed; you can never change. Unborn, eternal, immutable, immemorial, you do not die when the body dies" (Vyasa 63). Things are in flux, yes, but Brahman and Atman are beyond this change. They create all things. They are eternal. But the Self is beyond existence or non-existence. It is not the body�something solid or material, to which one can be attached�for the body dies.
Lao-tzu: In the same way I have said that the Tao is both infinite and eternal: eternal because "It was never born;" infinite because "It has no desires for itself; thus it is present for all beings" (Lao-tzu 7).
Pari Vnajaka: Now I would like to begin discussion of the climax of the spiritual life�what the Buddha calls enlightenment and I have called release. I would like to ask the Buddha and Lao-tzu how they came to realization of their teachings on these matters. Also, please describe your teachings and how they direct one toward the goal.
Buddha: I began by attempting to achieve all of the meditative skills taught by the greatest masters in the country. I found, however, that these skills didn�t free me. They were merely temporary comforts to a world of suffering, not complete escape from the pain and pleasures of ordinary life. I began practicing austerities, but soon found that extreme deprivation was just as harmful as indulgence. From this I realized the Middle Way, a path of moderation. After revitalizing my body, I sat down with the intent of reaching the goal. I then conceived that my thoughts existed in two forms�one beneficial, the other hurtful�and began to slowly increase the type that fostered growth, while extinguishing the other thoughts. I entered into the stages of meditation�the first through fourth jhanas, perceiving the flux of life, all beings passing in and out of existence. I finally attained knowledge of the practice that would result in the end of suffering, being sure that I had attained such a goal (Dvedhavitakka Sutta; Carrithers 53). My teachings follow from the causal law�dependent co-arising�of suffering. Namely, ignorance creates formations, which creates consciousness, which creates personal existence, � which create cravings, which create grasping, which creates becoming, which creates new existence, which creates old age and death (Johnson 25-27; Prebish 33-34). The whole thing repeats in a cyclical fashion. If we can cut out ignorance and cravings, the cycle will end for us. I teach four truths that deal with this causation. The first is that all life is stress and displeasure. Second, grasping, or desire causes this stress. The third truth is that an end to suffering is possible. And fourth, the best way to end suffering is by the Eightfold Path: right speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration, views, and thoughts (Prebish, 29-30).
Lao-tzu: My teachings are simple. I teach three things: simplicity, compassion, and patience. These cultivate not-doing and not-knowing. How do I know they lead to the Way? I look into my heart and know (Lao-tzu 67).
Pari Vnajaka: Lord Krishna, may I also ask how you direct your followers?
Krishna: I teach self-control, fearlessness, purity, patience, detachment, and will (Vyasa 190). In order to achieve these qualities, I direct people toward calmness, service, gentleness, self-restraint, and silence (Vyasa 197). In such pursuits karma yoga, action, must be accomplished without attachment to the process or the results. Indeed it is inaction within action that leads to the Supreme Goal. One must also have divine knowledge of the Self, and moderate meditative practices, not extreme ascetic practices. But of all the yogas, that of devotion is the highest. Through bhakti, "they whom I am the supreme goal, who do all work renouncing self for me and meditate on me with single-hearted devotion, these I will swiftly rescue from the fragment�s cycle of birth and death, for their consciousness has entered into me" (Vyasa 162).
Pari Vnajaka: I would like to address the idea of non-action. Lao-tzu, how would you describe this?
Lao-tzu: I have taught non-action because it leads to detachment. And what is non-action? I have said, "The Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn�t possess, acts but doesn�t expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever" (Lao-tzu 2).
Krishna: This is wise, for action or inaction, if it is forced or delivered for a specific result, is delusion. Only by indifference to the results can the goal be achieved. "The wise," I once told Arjuna, "see that there is action in the midst of inaction and inaction in the midst of action. Their consciousness is unified, and every act is done with complete awareness" (Vyasa 87). If one can perform the duties of the world without desire for results, this is much better than forced non-action.
Pari Vnajaka: Where does this leave the ascetic, who has renounced the world and all dutiful action?
Krishna: The renunciation of action can lead to the experience of Brahman, no doubt. But this is very difficult to achieve, for how can a human being confined to earthly existence perform no action. Besides, "Self-sacrifice, giving, and self-discipline should not be renounced, for they purify the thoughtful" (Vyasa 205). Instead, as I have said, "True renunciation is giving up all desire for personal reward" (Vyasa 206).
Buddha: Yes, the practice of renunciation must be approached carefully. "As a blade of kusha grass can cut the finger when it is wrongly held, asceticism practiced without discrimination can send one on the downward course" (The Dhammapada 173). Wrong, careless action must be avoided, and deeds must be performed with true, selfless intent.
Pari Vnajaka: Why should people be inclined to follow your teachings or the teachings of scripture? And can someone reach the goal without following your path?
Buddha: The individual should pursue these goals only if his or her heart is set on the path. If there is any doubt, test the precepts for yourself. One should not rely on "hearsay, on tradition, on legends, on learning, nor on mere inference or extrapolation or cogitation, nor on consideration and approval of some theory or other, nor because it seems fitting, nor out of respect for some ascetic" (qt. in Carrithers 90). Instead, when we know for ourselves, what is healthy practice and what isn�t, only then can we approach the goal.
Lao-tzu: I have often related foreknowledge of the doctrine to a flower. Although it is often beautiful, the Master seeks the nourishing fruit that develops from the bloom (Welch 77; Lao-tzu 38). Attachment to the words of others is often dangerous, considering that "Those who know don�t talk. Those who talk don�t know" (Lao-tzu 56). You see, "Wise men don�t need to prove their point" (Lao-tzu 81).
Krishna: My teachings are merely a guide to practice. I have stated that everyone who seeks, even those who approach the Unmanifested Brahman, can come to me. I do not claim that the scripture is universal. After all, "Just as a reservoir is of little use when the whole countryside is flooded, scriptures are of little use to the illumined man or woman, who sees the Lord everywhere" (Vyasa 66). However, the scriptures are generally helpful and should be used as a guide for action and self-examination. And we must remember why people come to seek such a goal: Some seek to end suffering, some seek purpose, some seek wisdom, and some seek love (Vyasa 116-17). So if the path helps the aspirant to achieve the goal, then it has fulfilled its purpose. There is no need to force the doctrine, which none of us here is attempting to do.
Pari Vnajaka: So are the scriptures not "sacred"?
Buddha: Pari Vnajaka, if you used a raft to get across a river, when you reached the other side, would you continue to carry the raft or leave it by the river?
Pari Vnajaka: I would leave it by the river, of course. It would be too much of a burden to have to carry it on land.
Buddha: Just like that, once the goal is reached, the teachings are no longer necessary to help the seeker and attachment to them would simply be a burden.
Pari Vnajaka: Before we get into discussion of the actual nature of the goal, I would like to ask why people often stray from the Way, as Lao-tzu has called it.
Lao-tzu: Humankind�s original nature was peaceful�a society of Masters. These people were like the Newborn child, free from hostility and anger or the Uncarved Block, blank and unmanipulated (Welch 35). When laws, common morality, and money emerged, so did chaos and separation from the Way. People began to seek selfish pleasures, which plunged them into distress. As I wrote once, "Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people�s approval and you will be their prisoner." (Lao-tzu 57).
Buddha: It is true, yes. We must go beyond the soils of this world, as the lotus flower stands above the mire, unsoiled by it (Carrithers 29). The fool will worry about his children and his wealth. "But how has he children or wealth? He is not even his own master" (Dhammapada 5). However, the use of "common morality" in a mindful way can help combat desire, leading to the goal. You see, humanity is taken astray by the many traps of this world: sensual desire, ill-will, sloth and drowsiness, anxiety, and uncertainty. It is only by reawakening the spirit of mindfulness, and serenity that one can hope to eliminate the hindrances (Ahara Sutta).
Lao-tzu: Yes, this is good. Attachment to the senses can also be a hindrance. I have said, "Colors blind the eye. Sounds deafen the ear. Flavors numb the taste. Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart" (Lao-tzu 12).
Buddha: Great! The senses are aflame with the fires of desire, unmindfulness, and delusion (Fire Sermon). Desire is like 36 streams pushing you. How hard it is to fight the current. Imprisoned not by chains or locks, but by lust, greed, and hatred. (Dhammapada 24)
Pari Vnajaka: Lord Krishna, do you agree?
Krishna: Very much. The body is like a field, composed of perceptions, elements, organs, and mind. This field is a breeding pool for "desire and aversion, pleasure and pain, the body, intelligence, and will" (Vyasa 169). "Selfish desire and anger �These are the appetites and evil which threaten a person in this life" (Vyasa 79).
Pari Vnajaka: So, how is one to overcome these "hindrances"?
Krishna: By cutting them out and seizing the senses.
Buddha: Master speech, thoughts, and action.
Pari Vnajaka: I would next like to ask how an aspirant progresses�how does his mind, body, and whole self change?�as he follows the path. Blessed One, I have heard that you speak of this.
Buddha: Yeah. The seeker begins in the spirit of the goal by giving up the worldly life to be homeless. He starts practicing right speech, action, and thought. As we discussed, the individual must learn to control the senses, grasping at nothing. Next, the aspirant becomes mindful, acting without hindrance in his daily practices. The seeker then gains insight into his own detachment and the process and truths by which he attained it. Finally, Nirvana is the highest wisdom, liberation, the final goal (Nibbana Suttas). This process is gradual, but the requirements are simple: see things for what they are and do the right things.
Pari Vnajaka: Buddha, who is open to receive this Nirvana?
Buddha: Anyone who puts himself fully into the task. There are no other requirements. "Matted hair or family or caste do not make a Master" (Dhammapada: The Sayings � 105-6).
Pari Vnajaka: What is this goal, Nirvana? What is the individual like who has attained it? Lao-tzu, could you speak on this first?
Lao-tzu: Such an individual I call a Master. He or she does not judge, but accepts all people, good or bad (Lao-tzu 17, 49). The Master trusts everyone, even the liar. He does his work and then lets it go, without attachment (Lao-tzu 2). He is selfless, without desire for wealth, power, or fame. The Master has rejected the values and prejudices of society for the security of the Way. Thus, "Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier. Throw away morality and justice, and people will do the right thing. Throw away industry and profit and there won�t be any thieves" (Lao-tzu 19). Like water, the Master is soft, flowing, and giving. Yet water erodes the strong and hard with time. In the same way, the Master overcomes adversaries with non-action and quietness. He does nothing and yet leaves nothing undone. The master is full of care, "� as someone crossing an iced-over stream. Alert as a warrior in enemy territory. Courteous as a guest. Fluid as melting ice. Shapeable as a block of wood. Receptive as a valley. Clear as a glass of water" (Lao-tzu 15). Just as the universe cares little for what happens to its parts, the Master is unattached to the people around him. He has no possessions and no need for them.
Pari Vnajaka: I have heard you speak about not-knowing. What is this?
Lao-tzu: "Not-knowing is true knowledge," I wrote once. "Presuming to know is a disease. First you realize that you are sick; then you can move toward health. The Master is her own physician. She has healed herself of all knowing. Thus she is truly whole" (Lao-tzu 71). The Way is beyond knowing. It is not-knowing.
Buddha: Great! The Master sees everything clearly, without discrimination, ignorance, or desire. For the Master a critic is no cause for hatred, just as praise is no cause for great joy. (Saddhatissa 70). "He is the moon!" (Dhammapada: The Sayings � 110). Without hesitation, he passes through life peacefully. The Master has conquered himself. He has altered the very processes by which he thinks and feels. "In him there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today" (Dhammapada: The Sayings � 112). There are no more deaths or rebirths for the Master because he recognizes he is already dead. He has conquered the world. "Beyond the sorrow of hell, Beyond the great joy of heaven, By virtue of his purity. He has come to the end of the way" (Dhammapada: The Sayings � 113). He is awake.
Pari Vnajaka: And Lord Krishna?
Krishna: The Master has surrendered completely to me. Recognizing the Self within, compassionate and without ill will, the Master lets things come and go. The individual I love does not blame or hurt his companion or his enemy. He is unwavering in action, thought, or intent, despite the circumstances. He is beyond possession, the concept of I and mine.
Lao-tzu: Excellent. The Master realizes the way things work and lets them take their course. She doesn�t attempt to improve or change things, because she knows it is impossible. She recognizes that there is a time for everything and that it occurs when it does, not when she wants it to (Lao-tzu 29).
Pari Vnajaka: What is the experience of release like?
Buddha: Nirvana is beyond likeness. There are no words to describe it. I could say it was pleasure. But it�s neither pleasure nor pain. I could say it was bliss. But it�s neither bliss nor sorrow.
Lao-tzu: Wonderful. As I said before, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao" (Lao-tzu 1).
Pari Vnajaka: One thing I have noticed is that all of you credit desire as a delusion to be discarded, but that someone needs a will or volition to seek the path of the Master. Is this not desire also?
Buddha: It is desire and must be uprooted. For the aspirant, the goal must not be the point of will; instead he or she must focus on the task at hand�the discipline�and it will achieve the goal by itself (Carrithers 77). Nirvana nearly attains itself.
Pari Vnajaka: I have exhausted my questions, but I still do not feel as if I received what I came for.
Buddha: Why did you wish to talk with all of us?
Pari Vnajaka: I thought it might allow me to also be released.
Lao-tzu: And what has happened?
Pari Vnajaka: Nothing.
Buddha, Krishna, and Lao-tzu (simultaneously): Exactly!
Pari Vnajaka did not see the point and, after a period of meditation, left without resolve. Lao-tzu bowed kindly to the Buddha and then to Krishna and, because it seemed fitting, picked up his bag and began walking. Krishna left also, playing his flute as he went. The Buddha then summoned his disciples for meditation, carrying on as usual. Later that evening as Pari Vnajaka was settling down, he remembered the strange comment that ended the conversation and, grasping its meaning, he realized his faults and his eyes were opened.
Works Cited
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