Once when Gautama the Buddha came to teach his disciples, he was carrying a beautiful silk handkerchief in his hands. Thousands of disciples were waiting and as they saw him walking towards them they were surprised to see such an article in the Buddha’s hand as it was most unusual.
When the Buddha addressed the gathering he asked “what do you see?” and they said, a beautiful silken handkerchief. Then slowly the Buddha started to put knots on the handkerchief, one after another, until he put 5 knots. Then he asked whether it was the same handkerchief. His disciples answered that it was the same handkerchief, yet different, as it was in knots now.
The Buddha said that is what I want you to understand. You are all Buddha but you cannot see the silken fine fabric because you are in knots.
I am like the same handkerchief but without knots.
Then he went on to pull the handkerchief from both sides and asked whether the knots would open this way.
They spoke in unison saying that this way the knots will in fact tighten and become more difficult to open.
Then the Buddha asked, why do you then try to open your knots by pulling? He continued to say that while your intention in doing so is good, your very doing is its undoing. It is trying too hard, taking too much trouble. You are making it more complicated.
He then further asked that if he needed to open these knots, what was needed to be done?
A monk answered that he would come close, observe and try to understand how the knots were formed. And if one saw how they were formed, one would be able to undo them.
Then Buddha said that is right and ended the sermon saying this is all he wanted to teach them. He ended by saying they needed to meditate upon their own knots.
