Meditation Technique No. 69:
 

Since, in truth, bondage and freedom are relative,

these words are only for those terrified of the universe.

This universe is a reflection of minds.

As you see many suns in the water from one sun,

so see bondage and liberation.

– Siva from ‘Vigyana Bhairava Tantra’

Sannyas from Osho, May 1980

Gratitude is in essence
The very foundation of all religion.
Gratitude is prayer.
It is through gratitude
That one becomes aware of the presence of God;
Not vice versa.
People think that when they become aware of God
They will feel very grateful towards him.
That’s nonsense! It can’t happen that way.
First you have to learn how to be grateful
Only then can you become aware
Of the presence of God.

Gratitude means that you have become
Aware of one thing:
That the existence has done so much for you
And you have not even thanked it.
On the contrary
You have been continuously complaining.
This is my experience here
Working with thousands of sannyasins:
You go on doing everything for them
But they don’t have any sense of gratitude.
And every day I receive letters of complaint
That this has not been done for them
That they are not being taken care of
That nobody is taking any note
That they are here.

But very rarely
Does somebody come to feel gratitude.
We have lost the very sense of gratefulness.
So whatsoever happens to us we accept it
As if we deserve it. We don’t deserve a thing!
But we start taking everything for granted.

I am always surprised
By the insensitivity of human beings.
For a few people I have done so much for years
But no sense of gratitude ever arises in them.
And there seems to be no possibility
That it will ever arise.
And if whatsoever has been done for them
Is dropped, if something is no more done
Then they are there immediately
To make a complaint.
They take it for granted
They think they have earned it:
It has to be given to them.

And man has not earned anything
We have not earned these trees
And these flowers and these birds
And these stars and these mountains.
This immensely beautiful existence
Has been given to us.
Start feeling grateful for it!

It is not a question of to whom,
That is not the point, it is irrelevant.
Just start feeling grateful
That you have been showered with so many gifts
From some unknown energy, x y x,
Whatsoever it is.

Call it God, or if that word annoys you
Then call it something else.
But some unknown force
Has been showering its love on you.

Start feeling grateful
And soon you will be connected with it
And soon you will be bridged
And more will start happening.

And you will be surprised
That one cannot feel grateful enough.
It is never enough because the existence
Goes on doing so much for you.
We cannot repay it
But at least we can be thankful.
That is prayer and that is sannyas.

– Osho

Thanks to Maneesha for the transcription.

Buddha said:

“I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes.
I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles.
I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags.
I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit,
and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot.
I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of magicians.
I discern the highest conception of emancipation as a golden brocade in a dream,
and view the holy path of the illuminated ones as flowers appearing in one’s eyes.
I see meditation as a pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of daytime.
I look upon the judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon,
and the rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons.”

Linji Yixuan and the Linji Lu

(an excerpt)

Counsellor Wang, the Prefectural Governor, and the other officials requested the Master to address them. 

The Master took the high seat in the Dharma Hall and said: “Today, I, this mountain monk, having no choice in the matter, have perforce yielded to customary etiquette and taken this seat. If I were to demonstrate the Great Matter in strict keeping with the teaching of the Patriarchal School, I simply couldn’t open my mouth and there wouldn’t be any place for you to find footing. But since I’ve been so earnestly entreated today by the Counselor, why should I conceal the essential doctrine of our School? Now is there any adept warrior who forthwith can array his battle-line and unfurl his banners here before me? Let him try proving himself before the assembly!”

A monk asked: “What about the cardinal principle of the Buddha-dharma?”
The master gave a shout.
The monk bowed low.
“As an opponent in argument this young reverend is rather good,” said the Master.

A monk asked, “Master, of what house is the tune you sing? To whose style of Zen do you succeed?”
The master said, “When I was staying at Huang-po’s place I questioned him three times and was hit three times.”
The monk hesitated.
The master gave a shout and then struck him, saying, “You can’t drive a stake into empty sky.”

A lecture-master asked: “The Three Vehicles’ twelve divisions of teachings reveal the Buddha-nature, do they not?”
“This weed-patch has never been spaded,” said Rinzai.
“Surely the Buddha would not have deceived men!” said the lecture-master. 
“Where is Buddha?” asked Rinzai.
The lecture-master had no reply.
“You thought you’d make a fool of me in front of the Counselor,” said the Master. “Get out,  get out! You’re keeping the others from asking questions.”

The Master further said, “Today’s Dharma-assembly is concerned with the Great Matter. Does anyone else have a question? If so, let him ask it now! But the instant you open your mouth you are already way off. Why is this so? Don’t you know? Venerable Shakyamuni said, ‘Dharma is separate from words, because it is neither subject to causation nor dependent upon conditions. Your faith is insufficient; therefore we have bandied words today. I fear I am obstructing the Counselor and his staff, thereby obscuring the Buddha-nature. l had better withdraw.”

“Khat!” shouted the Master, and then said, “For those whose root of faith is insufficient a final day will never come. You have been standing a long time. Take care of yourselves.”

‘The Linji Chan school was founded by Linji Yixuan (Lin-chi I-hsuan, d. 866), who taught in  Hebei Province in northeast China.

Master Linji is remembered for his outrageous,  harsh teaching style. His shouts and punches would startle his disciples. Much of what we know about Master Linji is from a book of his collected sayings called the Linji Lu, or ‘Record of Linji’, known in Japanese as ‘The Rinzairoku’.

The Linji school remained obscure until the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It was during this period that the Linji school developed its distinctive practice of koan contemplation.’