A mystic used to live under a tree, and he saw for years a woodcutter coming every day, an old man.
The w hole day he will cut wood and sell the wood, and then too it was difficult to feed himself, his wife
and children.
One day the mystic asked the woodcutter, “Will you listen to me?”
The woodcutter used to respect the mystic. In the early morning when he will come he will bow down to
the mystic, and when by the evening he will take the wood back home, he will again bow down to the
mystic.
The mystic said, “Listen, don’t waste your life cutting wood. Just go a little ahead and you will find a
copper mine, and that will be enough. You do one day’s work and for seven days it will be enough to keep
your family perfectly comfortably, conveniently, and there will be no need for you to work every day.”
The man did not believe. What this mystic can know about the copper and the mines? He had never seen
him leave his tree. “Under the tree he is always sitting there with closed eyes — what can he know?” But
then he thought, “What I am going to lose? Let me give it a try.”
He went ahead and round a copper mine, and he was immensely pleased. Now he used to work only one
day and for the remaining week there was no need to work. It was enough to feed his family, not only to
feed but even invite guests, friends. And all were surprised that he has become suddenly rich.
One day the mystic said, “You are such a fool! Just go a little ahead and you will find a silver mine –
and one day’s work, and for six months you need not work at all.”
The woodcutter was perfectly happy with the copper mine and he did not believe this mystic — again!
But he said, “For the first time he turned out to be right. Who knows? Let me give a try!”
And he found the silver mine, and he was immensely happy. And one day he will come and for six
months he will
One day he was coming, and the mystic said, “But you are just a fool! You just go ahead a little bit more
and you will find a gold mine!”
Now this was too much! The woodcutter could not believe that this could be his fate — impossible! But
again he WaS seduced by the idea — he went and found the gold mine. Now he became so rich that for years
he will not come, and even if he comes he won’t bother even to bow down to the mystic. ‘Who cares about
this fool? He just goes on sitting under the tree, and he knows where the gold mine is, still he has not
bothered…”
One day the mystic called him and he said, “You don’t come to see me any more,. you don’t bow down
to me, but, still, I am now getting old and I cannot wait any more. Just a little ahead there is a diamond mine
– and why you are wasting your time with gold? You can find diamonds!”
And the man found the diamonds; now for years he will not come. And one day the mystic sent a
message that, “Come quickly, because I am on my deathbed and I have to reveal you the last secret.”
He could not believe — what can be more than diamonds? That is the end! There can be nothing, there
cannot be anything more. But he came. He asked, “What is the matter? Now you are again trying to tell me
to go ahead?”
He said, “Yes, because if you go a little bit ahead you will find a treasure which is inexhaustible. This
mine will be exhausted soon.”
The woodcutter said, “I don’t believe you any more. And I am perfectly happy — why should I go? And
if you know that there is some inexhaustible treasure, why you go on sitting under this tree?”
The mystic said, “That inexhaustible treasure is within me, and that’s what I have called you for, to tell
you just go a little ahead. If you go a little ahead you will find yourself, and that’s the real treasure.”
But it was too much for the poor woodcutter even to understand. He laughed at the whole idea and he
said, “You must have gone crazy! I am perfectly happy.”
The mystic died. After many years the woodcutter thought — his death was also coming closer –
“Maybe he was right, I should go a little further.” He went a little further and he found such a beautiful
forest that he wanted to sit under a tree. And it was so silent that he wanted to close his eyes. And it was so
tremendously peaceful that he started sinking within himself… And he found the treasure the mystic w as
talking about, but it was found within himself.

From – “I am that” by OSHO