Christianity: The Deadliest Poison and Zen: The
Antidote to All Poisons
Talks given from 22/01/89 pm to 29/01/89 pm
English Discourse series
8 Chapters
Year published: 1989
Christianity: The Deadliest Poison and Zen: The Antidote to All Poisons
Chapter #1
Chapter title: The opium of the people
22 January 1989 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium
Archive code: 8901225
ShortTitle: CHRIST01
Audio:
Yes
Video:
Yes
Length: 151 mins
OUR BELOVED MASTER,
ON ONE OCCASION, YAKUSAN WROTE DOWN THE CHINESE CHARACTER SIGNIFYING BUDDHA,
AND ASKED HIS DISCIPLE, DOGO: "WHAT IS THIS LETTER?"
DOGO REPLIED, "IT'S THE LETTER FOR `BUDDHA'."
YAKUSAN COMMENTED, "YOU ARE A MONK SO FULL OF CHATTER!"
ONCE, AT THE EVENING DISCOURSE, YAKUSAN DIDN'T LIGHT THE CANDLE AS USUAL. A MONK
CAME AND STOOD BY HIS SIDE. YAKUSAN SAID, "I HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PHRASE. IF A BULL GIVES
BIRTH, I WILL TELL IT TO YOU."
THE MONK SAID, "THE BULL HAS ALREADY GIVEN BIRTH LONG AGO, AND YOU JUST KEEP NOT
REVEALING IT."
YAKUSAN ASKED FOR A LIGHT. WHEN THE CANDLE WAS BROUGHT IN, THE MONK RETREATED
AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE ASSEMBLY OF MONKS.
LATER UNGAN TOLD TOZAN ABOUT THIS, AND TOZAN SAID, "THE MONK KNEW THE TRUTH -- HE
JUST DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE OBEISANCE TO THE MASTER."
Friends,
One of the sannyasins has asked me a question.
IF THE TRUTH IS ONE, THEN WHY DO ALL THE MASTERS, ALL THE AWAKENED ONES, SPEAK IN
DIFFERENT WAYS? SOMETIMES IT EVEN LOOKS AS IF THEY ARE CONTRADICTORY.
The truth is certainly one, but it has multidimensional reality, and every master has to choose a certain
dimension. You cannot speak all the dimensions together.
Every master has his own style, his own way of speaking, his own way of conveying. The higher you
rise in consciousness and awareness, the more you become unique, the more you become individual.
But let me explain to you:
Individuality is not personality.
Personality is given by the society to you. Individuality is your intrinsic nature. Personality is fake, a
fraud. Individuality is your innermost buddha, your innermost enlightenment, your