“Much will transpire in these two years, you will see many people flowering. You will see all kinds of people coming to me: the curious ones who come empty-handed and go empty-handed, the real seekers who come empty-handed but never go empty-handed – they stay, they remain with me till they are fulfilled. You will see the slow ones who take a very long, long time, a gradual process, and you will see the quick ones, the intelligent ones who understand immediately. Simply watch. Walk with me from one village to another village, sit with me under this tree and that tree, imbibe my spirit, feel my silence, look into my eyes, watch the way I walk, watch the way I sit. Simply watch for two years and forget all your questions, don’t formulate any questions, and after two years, if you can fulfill this condition, you will be allowed to ask and I will answer you. And I promise you that whatsoever the question is it will be solved, whatsoever your thirst is it will be quenched.”

One great philosopher, Maulingaputta, had come, and he was asking great philosophical questions, of course. Buddha listened – he was very famous, he was well-known all over the country. He had not come alone, he had come with five hundred of his own disciples. They were sitting behind him. Buddha listened patiently. For one hour he was asking this question and that – very complicated questions, complex questions, subtle questions. Then he said, “I have asked so many questions, but you have not answered.”

Buddha said, “My way of answering is that you will have to wait for two years with me These are the questions you have asked of many people. Have you asked them or not before asking me?”

Maulingaputta said, “That’s true. I have asked Mahavira and he immediately answered. I have asked Sanjay Vilethiputta” – he was another famous teacher of those days, “and he immediately answered. I have asked Ajit Keshkambal” – he was a very skeptical philosopher, “and he was very much interested in my questions. And I have asked so many others. We have been traveling all over the country.”

Buddha said, “You have asked so many people and they have all answered, but have you got the answers? If you have got the answers, then why waste my time?”

Maulingaputta said, “They have answered, but I have not got the answers yet. My questions remain the same – untouched. Their answers have not satisfied me.”

Then Buddha said, “I can also answer right now as they have answered – it will not satisfy you either. Now you have to decide. If you really are interested then risk two years’ time and sit silently by my side.”

Maulingaputta waited for two years, but before he said, “Yes, I am ready to wait,” one of Buddha’s great disciples, Manjushree, started laughing. Maulingaputta said, “Why is this man laughing like mad?”

Buddha said, “He is not mad – he is my first disciple who has become enlightened. And I know why he is laughing – you can ask him yourself.”

Maulingaputta asked Manjushree, “Why are you laughing?”

He said, “I am laughing because this Gautam Buddha is tricky. He tricked me the same way. Listening to what he is saying to you I remembered my own journey to him. Twenty years have passed; suddenly I remembered – I had completely forgotten – that these were my questions too, It is as if history is repeating itself. And it is strange that I came with five hundred disciples of my own just as you have come, and I asked Buddha and the same reply was given to me: ‘Wait for two years.’ I waited for two years, and I am laughing. I would like to say this to you as a warning: if you want to ask this man, ask right now, because after two years you will not ask and he will not answer.”