Photo Courtesy: Jeff Bauche on Flickr

First, let me tell a story that I head from Osho and then make a few comments.

So, here goes the story:

This is a Sufi story. There were two disciples learning from a master. They were also close friends. Everyday they would meditate for hours inside and then go to the garden and doing walking meditation.

Both of them being smokers, they hatched a plan to ask the master for permission to smoke when they were in the garden. They thought it won’t be nice to smoke inside the house but smoking the garden should be OK. They decided to seek the Master’s permission next day.

Next day they checked with the Master separately.

In the evening when they started their walking meditation, one of the disciples took out his cigarette and started smoking. The other one was shocked and told the smoker that it’s not wise to go against the Master’s orders.

The smoker was surprised and said that when he checked with the Master, the master had given him permission to smoke.

Now, it was the first person’s turn to NOT only be surprised but also to be upset that the Master had said “No” to him and had said “Yes” to his friend.

The smoker asked – “So what did you ask the Master?”

The non-smoker said – “I asked whether I can smoke while doing walking meditation?”

The smoker smiled and said – “OK that explains it. I asked whether I can do walking meditation while smoking?”

I have talked about the power of questions before but this story nails it.

The way non-smoker put the question made it look like there was lack of dedication.

The way the smoker put the question made it look like he was walking the extra mile.

Something to think about!