One day a man came to Buddha and, touching his feet, asked if there is a God? The eternal question!
Buddha looked at him intently and said:
— When I was young, I loved horses very much and distinguished four types. The first one is the most stupid and stubborn, no matter how much you beat her, she still won’t listen. Many people are like that. Second type: the horse obeys, but only after a blow. There are many such people. There is also a third type. These are horses that don't need to be beaten. You just show her the whip and that's enough. There is also a fourth type of horse, which is very rare. The shadow of a whip is enough for them.
While saying all this, the Buddha looked into the man's face. Then he closed his eyes and fell silent. The man also closed his eyes and sat in silence with the Buddha.
Ananda was present, and something inside him began to protest. He decided: “This is too much! The man asks about God, and the Teacher talks about horses.” Reasoning in this way within himself, Ananda could not help but see what silence reigned, what great silence! It was almost tangible. Ananda looked at the faces of the Buddha and the man who was undergoing transformation right before his eyes! Buddha opened his eyes, and the man sat in this state for another hour. His face was peaceful and bright.
Opening his eyes, the man touched the Buddha's feet with deep gratitude, thanked him and left.
When he left, Ananda asked the Buddha:
- This is incomprehensible to me! He asks about God, and you talk about horses.
I saw him fall into deep silence. It's like he's lived with you for many years. Even I have never known such silence! What unity! What communication! What was conveyed? Why did he thank you so much?
Buddha replied:
- I wasn't talking about horses. I spoke about the Divine, but this cannot be spoken about directly. When I saw what kind of horse he arrived on, I realized that only a true connoisseur could choose such a horse. That's why I started talking about horses. It was a language he could understand, and he understood it. He is a rare person. The shadow of a whip was enough for him. And when I closed my eyes, he realized that it was impossible to talk about the highest. One can only remain silent about him; and in this silence It is known. This is a transcendental experience and is beyond the mind.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru