THE VOICE WITHIN

The Buddha told his disciples: “Whoever makes an effort can attain enlightenment in seven days. If he can’t manage it, certainly he will attain it in seven months, or in seven years.”

The young man decided he would attain enlightenment in one week, and wanted to know what he should do. “Concentrate,” came the reply.

The young man began to practice, but in ten minutes he was already distracted. It was frustrating.

Little by little, he began paying attention to everything that distracted him. Before long, he realized that he was not wasting time, but was actually getting used to himself.

One fine day he decided it was not necessary to arrive at his goal so fast. “After all, the path is teaching me many things,” he thought.

It was at that moment that he became an Enlightened One…

Another time, the Buddha gathered his disciples around and showed them a lotus flower.

“I want you to tell me something about what I hold in my hand,” he said.

One disciple recited a veritable treatise on the importance of flowers. Another composed a lovely poem about its petals. A third one made up a parable using the flower as an example.

Now it was Mahakashyap’s turn. He came up to the Buddha, smelt the flower and caressed his face with one of the petals.

“This is a lotus flower,” said Mahakashyap. “Simple, like everything that comes from God. And beautiful, like everything that comes from God.”

“You are the only one who sees what I hold in my hand,” was the Buddha’s comment.

— the harbinger