Ten Ox herding pictures are a series of pictures with accompanied poems to depict the progress of a Zen practitioner. In the original one the Enlightened practitioner goes to a  market place where they sell arrack and fish.  Ordinary mortals like me , the unenlightenable ones, goes to have a good filter coffee.  There is a small place, a hole in the wall type cafe, near. Kodaikanal bust stand named Pastry Corner.  They serve really good coffee at a very fair price.   And it is always crowded.  That has been my routine after every sesshin. at Bodhizendo.  On the way back to Blr, have a coffee from there before boarding the bus.  On Sunday evening , i planned to  reach the place at 530 pm, their usual closing time, though my bus starts at  7pm.  I did reach well before 5 pm. But then they have already  downed the shutter half to indicate no more coffee. 

As i was chatting with a  middle aged man  who seemed to be the owner of the cafe,  another. 3 -4  people came and asked for coffee and went away.  .  When i asked him if there is so much demand for his coffee , why close so early.  He looked at me with an raised eyebrow and said  “Aasaikku athirillai” which roughly translates to  English. as. “there is no limit to greed”.  And just a few hours back, i was making a Wish list for me for 2023 after a  6 day Zen meditation sesshin ! And it might have hurt my ego, it kept lingering in my mind on way back to Bangalore.  The young KSRTC driver was  drving thru the. ghat road as if it was  the Blr – Mysore new highway. Reached Blr. at 3:15 am almost. 75 minutes ahead of the schedule. On reaching home, i tried waking up. Rishi my second son so that we can go for an early Rameshwaram Cafe breakfast.  He didnot as he was watching. ManU vs Arsenal match on the previous. night.  So i went alone.  I have been there many a times but going there. so early was a first time.  And they were into some Morning ritual. Pujas and then all the staff assembled in front of the cafe for a National anthem.

And then they started their BUSINESS.   I didnot feel that proud. to be the Customer number 1, as if i was suffering  some famine  at Bodhizendo.  BodhiZendo food is really good.🙂

But then what stuck me was their success.  They are open from 6:30 am to 1 am next day every day.  Food is good. And their first cafe in Indiranagar was. big hit.  And immediately they encashed their success  by opening  more branches across Bangalore. And each one of them are doing well.  They got good systems, processes, a good menu, good food and real quick service and always. a big Q infront of the their cafes.  And. of-course more MONEY !   And the Qn. “Aasaikku Athirillai !  ( Greed has got no limits)  !!! 

And i am wondering which way to Go ???  On  the late Saturday evening,  Fr. Cyril at BodhiZendo gave me a koan to work on.   “Whatever you do, will not do ! What you will do then ??”

And that is what has been ringing on my head like tinnitus since yday morning.

“Whatever you do, will not do ! What you will do then ??

“Whatever you do, will not do ! What you will do then ??

……