Yesterday Sensei and the monastery monks were resting in the main hall after early morning meditation.
An old, stern looking Monk wearing maroon robes walked in and greeted Sensei. Sensei stood up and bowed to the Monk. The Monk
did the same.
The monastery monks realised that this Monk was known to Sensei and was quite senior.
The old Monk bowed once again to Sensei and said, “I have a problem.” Sensei bowed and gently said, “Please ask me, respected Wind Monk.”
The monastery monks realised that this Monk’s name was Wind Monk.
Wind Monk said, “Sensei, my windmill has stopped turning.”
Sensei heard this and closed his eyes for a few minutes.
Then he opened his eyes, and asked Wind Monk, “Do you know why?”
Wind Monk said, “Because the wind has stopped blowing.”
Sensei became silent again and after a few minutes said, “And the wind will not return?”
Wind Monk said, “I do not know.”
Sensei nodded, went up to Wind monk, clasped his hands and said, “Then take the windmill to the wind.”
Wind monk was emotionless and said, “I do not know where the wind is anymore…”
Sensei’s face brightened up, and he clapped three times in excitement.
Then Sensei said, “If so, you must leave the windmill. You don’t need it anymore…”
Wind Monk had tears in his eyes when he heard Sensei say this. He bowed to Sensei and left.
The monks noticed that Sensei had tears in his eyes too.
Later on in the evening, Curiosity Monk asked Sensei to explain the events of the morning.
Sensei was quite emotional when he spoke and said, “Wind Monk has been my student for the past 45 years. His challenge was to overcome thinking about his past. I called his brooding ‘the wind’ and gave him the name of Wind Monk. The windmill was his mind, and his meditation was to observe the windmill of his mind as it turned with the thoughts of his past.
Today, it became clear that he had stopped thinking about his past. His windmill had stopped. When I asked him to find other things in his past to brood, he had none. Wind Monk had achieved a Satori and his meditation had ended. His mind had become blank and it was time for him to leave me, forever.”
All the monks bowed to Sensei after hearing such a profound story.
*****