This is the conversation between Business Monk (BM) and Head Monk (HM) that got BM admission into the Monastery:
HM: “So, you are a businessman?”
BM: “Yes.”
HM: “Then why join a Monastery?”
BM: “To become bankrupt.”
Sensei gurgled and clapped once. (Three claps by Sensei and a monk is admitted.)
HM: “Hmmm. It’s difficult to become bankrupt in business?”
BM: “No. It’s easy. But it depends on what bankruptcy we are talking about.”
HM: “What bankruptcy are you talking about?”
BM: “Of the mind. I want to be bankrupt in my mind.”
Sensei clapped the second time.
HM: “Just now, you are very wealthy in your mind?”
BM: “Yes. My years of business have made me a billionaire of Mental Junk, comprising greed, wants, ambitions, and experiences. I am ranked amongst the richest Mental Junk billionaires of the world.”
HM: “So you will stop being a businessman?”
BM: “Oh never! A businessman is always a businessman. I want to do mental trading with Buddha. I want to tempt Buddha to trade my billions of mental junk with trillions of his mental happiness. I want to bankrupt myself to become even more rich.”
Sensei clapped thrice, laughed and said, “By bankrupting your mind of its worries and wants, you will become very rich and fulfilled. That is a good bankruptcy to achieve.”
*****