Monday, 17 March 2014

Pointing to a deer and calling it a horse


Emperor “Prime Minister, why are you riding a deer?”
Zhao Gao “Your Majesty, this is a horse.”
Emperor “You are mistaken! That is clearly a deer!”
Zhao Gao“If Your Majesty does not believe me, then we must ask the ministers for their opinion.”
The ministers were asked, divided with motives half told the truth and said it was a deer, while the other half said it was a horse.
The Emperor doubted himself and chose not to believe his own eyes. 

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Saturday, 8 June 2013

Are You Here? | A Short Zen Story


A visiting monk was taking leave of master Ch’ang Kuan of Wu-feng. 

The master said to him, “When you travel around, don’t slander me by saying that I am here.” The monk said, “I won’t say you’re here.” 

The master asked, “Where would you say I am?” The visiting monk held up one finger (to symbolically express the Zen intuition of oneness). “Ah,” said the master, “you have already slandered me.”

Monday, 14 January 2013

Final Moment "Dream" | A Short Zen Story

Before Japanese Rinzai Zen Master Takuan Soho died, this great scholar-artist-teacher instructed: 

“Bury my body on the mountain behind the temple; throw earth on it and go away. 
No scripture reading, no offerings—go on with your meals. Afterwards, no pagoda, no monument, no posthumous name or title, and certainly no biography full of dates!” 
At his final moment, he wrote the Chinese character for yume ("dream"), put down the brush, and died.

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Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Do You Know Yourself As Buddha-Nature | A Short Zen Story

Keiji, a long-time Zen student, approached his master and said:
“I don’t see how there can be any enlightenment that sets you free once and for all. I think we just get ever greater glimpses of Buddha-nature, the vastness that is our true Reality. It’s an ever-expanding process.”

The master, looking penetratingly at Keiji, replied. “That may be what you think. But what is your experience, your experience right now?”
Keiji looked momentarily confused.
“My experience right now, Master?”
“Yes. Do you know yourself as Keiji, having ever-expanding experiences of Buddha-nature? Or do you know yourself as Buddha-nature, having the experience of Keiji?”


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Tuesday, 1 January 2013

The Truly Wise Old Monk | A Short Zen Story

A young Zen monk was recognized by his teacher as having experienced an initial breakthrough enlightenment. His teacher then told the young man that, for realizing complete, irreversible enlightenment, he would need to study under a certain wise old master whose small temple was situated in another part of the country. And so the young man set off to meet the old master. After several weeks of travel, he finally arrived at the remote temple.

The sentry told him that all the other monks were working at their daily chores, and sent the young man straightaway to the meditation hall to meet the venerable master.

Entering the meditation hall, the young monk espied an old man doing repeated prostrations to a simple statue of the Buddha, softly chanting the name of Buddha Amida (who saves all sentient beings from suffering).

The young man was shocked. Having realized from his teacher the basic truth that the Self or Buddha-nature is formless openness-emptiness, utterly transcendent and all-pervasive, he was a bit disturbed to see the old man apparently still caught up in such “dualistic” practices—ritually bowing to an idol and chanting with devotion to a mythical Buddha.

And so he came up to the aged monk, introduced himself, and, from his “truly enlightened” perspective, proceeded to lecture the old man on the futility and stupidity of worshiping mere forms. Finally, his brief rant over, he realized that, having traveled such a long way to meet the “master,” he should probably ask the old monk for whatever wisdom he had to share. “So, old man, what can you tell me about full enlightenment?”

In response, the master resumed sincerely bowing in gratitude before the statue of the Buddha, gently invoking the Name of Amida on behalf of all beings….

And, in a flash, the young man fully understood the way of true spirituality.

Wednesday, 19 December 2012

How The Tea-Master Defeated The Assassin | A Short Zen Story

Taiko, a warrior who lived in Japan before the Tokugawa era, studied Cha-no-yu, tea etiquette, with Sen no Rikyu, a teacher of that aesthetical expression of calmness and contentment.

Taiko's attendant warrior Kato interpreted his superior's enthusiasm for tea etiquette as negligence of state affairs, m he decided to kill Sen no Rikyu. He pretended to make a social call upon the tea-master and was invited to drink tea.

The master, who was well skilled in his art, saw at a glance the warrior's intention, so he invited Kato to leave his sword outside before entering the room for the ceremony, explaining that Cha-no-yu represents peacefulness itself. Kato would wouldn't entertain this. 
'I am a warrior,' he said. I always have my sword with me. Cha-no-yu or no Cha-no-yu. I have my sword."

'Very well. Bring your sword in and have some tea,' consented Sen no Rikyu.

The kettle was boiling on the charcoal fire. Suddenly Sen no Rikyu tipped it over. Hissing steam arose filling the room with smoke and ashes. The startled warrior ran outside.
The tea-master apologized.
‘It is my mistake. Come back in and have some tea. I have your sword here covered with ashes and will clean it and give it to you."

In this predicament the warrior realized he could not very well kill the tea-master, so he gave up the idea.


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Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Has Your Candle Burned Out? | A Short Zen Story

In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night was offered a lantern to carry home with him.

'I do not need a lantern,' he said. Darkness or light is all the same to me'

‘I know you do not need a lantern to find your way,' his friend replied, 'but if you don't have one someone else may run into you. So you must take it.'

The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. 'Look out where you are going!' he exclaimed to the stranger. 'Can't you see this lantern?'

‘Your candle has burned out brother,' replied the stranger. 



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