Contemplating the pebble

[killbill]

I wanted to achieve enlitenment, so i read some books and meditated. When i failed to achieve enlitenment I asked a zen student and he said "you must contemplate the nothingness that is" So i meditated and still failed to achieve enlitenment "well screw this" i thought and got up to walk away, and promtly fell flat on my face, In that moment i achived enlitenment.
Know why?

[Paratus]

You realized nothing is everything? Through seeing no point to something you see a point? Enlightenment comes to you, you don't work for it it happens?

Sorry its late and I'm tired, if any of this sounds sarcastic I apologize, I'm just guessing

[Jack]

I doubt you achieved it, but this is a nice story!

In this instance the enlightenment would have been achieved by letting go of the desire for enlightenment. There is a similar story I will try to recount.

Ananda was the Buddha's helper. He was so busy helping everyone, he didn't have time for his own practice at all. When the Buddha passed away, Ananda cried and cried whilst the monks accepted his death with understanding.

After his death, there was to be a council meeting of all the higher Buddhists to discuss and decide upon how to formalise the Buddha's teachings. Ananda wanted to be enlightened by the time of this meeting, so he sat and meditated and practiced and practiced. After a few months, nothing. A few weeks before the meeting, nothing. The night of the meeting he was practicing hard, when he thought that he won't be enlightened by the time of the meeting. He thought he should just go to sleep instead.

Its said the moment his head touched the pillow, he was enlightened.

Jack

[killbill]

Nice story, Does anyone have any other good koans or stories?