Maulungaputra, a seeker of truth, came to the Buddha. Buddha asked him:
-What are you looking for?
Maulungaputra said:
- I'm looking for myself. Help me!
Buddha promised to help him if he did what he told him. Maulungaputra began to cry and said:
- How can I promise? I'm not there - I'm not there yet, how can I promise? I don't know what I'll do tomorrow, I don't have any self that can promise, so don't ask for the impossible. I'll try. The most I can say is “I’ll try.” But I can't say that I will do it, because who will do it? I'm looking for something that can promise and keep promises. I'm not there yet.
Buddha said:
“Maulungaputra, I asked you this question to hear it.” If you promised, I would refuse you. If you said, “I promise I will do this,” then I would know that you are not a real seeker of yourself, because the seeker must know that he is not there yet. Otherwise, what's the point of looking? If you already are, there is no need. You're gone! And if a person can feel this, the ego evaporates.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru