Zen tale: A Zen master knows far more that what he lets on that he knows
By emptychair
@innertalks (23599)
Australia
March 14, 2026 11:18pm CST
The old Zen master was coughing up blood, and he told his students that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
He said to them, that nevertheless, I will stay in this body as long as God requires me to do so, but it does seem that he is pointing to me going out soon.
He then suddenly keeled over, and died.
A student said:
“Well, he was both, right, and wrong, there. God took him, and he had no idea it was to happen right now.”
Then, a note was found attached to the Zen master’s chest, which said:
“I am now dead. God has taken me home. Do not fret, as we all have our time to go, and mine was right now.”
Most Zen master’s do know what is happening, as they have a heart connected to God.
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
Every beginning has its ending in God. Every ending has its beginning in God. Everything starts, and finishes, in God.
3 people like this
1 response
@Shiva49 (28020)
• Singapore
15 Mar
I heard some Indian saints knew their time was close to leave but wanted to hang on for a while too.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to check on what is for him in the next meal to stay rooted to this world.
The pull factor was haunting him to leave the physical body.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23599)
• Australia
15 Mar
I have heard, and seen in person, a few bogus, so-called spiritual masters here, who chain-smoked, claiming that this grounding of their body factor, also allowed them to stay in their physical body, and not float away from it.
Funny enough though, this could be partly true, as I noticed this too when I was taking a certain medication, it affected my mind, so that when walking, it was like I was going to float away from my body too, and I could really feel the lift factor.
So, some things might act to pin somebody more to their body.
@Shiva49 (28020)
• Singapore
16 Mar
@innertalks For the few greedy wealthy, the pin factor to their body is their wealth!
My observation is the wealthy has everything going to hang on here while some, maybe me included, look for ultimate justice by leaving this body!
This world is becoming inhospitable with the innocents having less means to get hospitalized even for needed treatments due to the cost factor!
For the majority it is better to trundle through life and reach the end of the race and then good riddance.
Look for our creator high and low afterwards and when hope is lost out comes the ultimate savior, the knight in shining armor.
I like to keep my bags ready, like some are advised to who live in the war zone, and leave at moment's notice or even without notice
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23599)
• Australia
16 Mar
@Shiva49 The way things are going now, none of us will have enough fuel in our tank to get us into Heaven, or anywhere else, besides.
Trundling through life is a whole lot costlier these days, and a lot of cutbacks are being forced onto all.
I wonder if God has inflation in Heaven too.
According to the Bible, he had at least one war there too, when the Devil was overpowered, kicked out, and sent down here to wreak his havoc here.
Why wouldn't God just lock him up in Hell?
