Karl Renz: In the early times of Zen monasteries in Japan, everything could be done without any consequences. There was a Zen master and a disciple who said “I am ready, master. Do whatever you like with me. I want to get enlightened, I accept everything. I am the most ready and no one was ever as ready as me.” The master calls him and asks “Would you give your little finger for That?” The disciple starts crying “My finger?” The master chops his little finger off. The master asks him “Are you less now?” Then he cuts his whole hand. The disciple cries and master asks him “Are you less now?” Then he cuts his whole arm and asks “Are you less now?” Then he chops his whole head and asks “Are you less now?” And there was no answer and that’s what-you-are. [Laughter]
From that instant, you could ask all three thousand disciples “Are you enlightened?” And no one ever wanted to be enlightened. Three thousand instant enlightened disciples. Everyone was quiet.
Since we are not in those good old times, now I have to do it differently. Then it was easier, now it is really hard work. That is the meaning of Kali goes chopping with all the skeletons and the heads. That is the nature of Kali and if Kali goes chopping, watch out! Now Kali sits here and says no heads have to fall, no one has to be enlightened, all of that is same bullshit as everything. Chopping even the chopping. That is what Ramana is famous for. That understanding will not make anything different relatively.
Ramana was the pointer of the chopping of the chopping. No chopping can ever chop that. No chopping will ever result to that you can know yourself. In that sense, there are no good old times. There is not even now for you to become what-you-are. But it sounds good, I like the story.