A Zen monk was invited to dinner by some friends. It was a seven-story building. This is a story from Japan. Suddenly, an earthquake struck. Earthquakes are very common in Japan. People ran, the host ran too. Who would stay on the seventh floor when an earthquake hits? The stairwell became crowded. There were many guests, about twenty-five of them. The host was stuck at the doorway. Then it occurred to him, what happened to the main guest, the Zen monk?
He looked back and saw that the monk was sitting cross-legged in his chair, eyes closed. Like a statue of Buddha, a marble statue—so calm, so serene! His appearance, his peace, his bliss—it captivated the host! He was drawn to him as if by a magnet. He sat down next to the monk.
The earthquake came and went. The monk opened his eyes. He resumed the conversation from where it had been interrupted by the earthquake. The host said, "I don't remember what we were talking about. There was such a big earthquake in between. There's chaos throughout the city. There's so much noise. Such a big shock. I don't remember anything—where we were, what we were talking about. Don't start that conversation again. Now I have something else to ask. I want to ask, we all ran, why didn't you run?"
The monk said, "I ran too. I ran inwards, you ran outwards. Everyone ran towards where they thought their destination was, where they thought there was safety. And I tell you, your running was in vain, because the earthquake is here too, the earthquake is on the sixth floor, the earthquake is on the fifth floor, the earthquake is on the fourth floor. The earthquake is on all the floors, where are you running to? Those on the fifth floor are running too. Those on the third floor are running too. The earthquake is even on the streets." Those who were on the streets are also running towards their homes. Everyone is running. But you are running from one earthquake to another. I also ran; I ran inwards.
And I know a place within myself—a place where no earthquake can ever reach! Where not even a tremor can reach, let alone an earthquake. Where no external influence can ever reach, I ran towards that untouched, pristine realm. I also ran. I won't say I didn't run. You may not understand, because you only recognize one kind of running. I didn't run with my hands and feet; I didn't use my body, because that's only necessary when you're running outwards. I left my body relaxed, at rest, and slipped inwards! There is great security there because there is immortality! There is no death there. My only worry was that I might die before reaching that inner place! But once I reached it, I became completely at peace. What death now? Whose death? My only concern was to die in meditation. The earthquake came. Death has to come sometime or other, it always does. My only thought was to die in meditation.
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