Why We Are Here
Why We Are Here Walking one evening along a deserted road, Mulla Nasrudin saw a troop of horsemen coming towards him. His imagination started to work; he saw himself captured and sold as a slave, or impressed into the army.…
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Carrying A Cross
Carrying A Cross “In a certain village in Umbria (Italy), there lived a man who was always bewailing his lot. He was a Christian, and found the weight of his cross too heavy to bear. One night, before going to…
Identification is Misery
Identification is Misery “Junaid was going through the market-place of the town with his disciples. And it was his way to take any situation and use it. A man was dragging his cow by a rope, and Junaid said ’Wait’…
Mulla Nasrudin and the Wise Men
Mulla Nasrudin and the Wise Men “The philosophers, logicians and doctors of law were drawn up at Court to examine Mulla Nasrudin. This was a serious case, because he had admitted going from village to village saying: “The so-called wise…
Rare Gems of the Heart: Zengetsu’s Advice to His Pupils
Rare Gems of the Heart: Zengetsu’s Advice to His Pupils “Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T’ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils: Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is…
Every-Moment Zen: The Lesson of the Umbrella and the Clogs
Every-Moment Zen “Zen students are with their masters at least ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno…
The Second Arrow: Pain Is Inevitable, Suffering Is Optional
The Second Arrow: Pain Is Inevitable, Suffering Is Optional “When you get hurt, say, by an arrow, that is pain. The arrow hitting your arm, it hurts. Pain. However, there is a second arrow, which is your reaction to the…
Truth Over Flattery: A Zen Lesson in Sincere Speech
Truth Over Flattery “Two Zen teachers, Daigu and Gudo, were invited to visit a lord. Upon arriving, Gudo said to the lord: “You are wise by nature and have an inborn ability to learn Zen.” “Nonsense,” said Daigu. “Why do…
You See What You Are: The Village Is Your Mind
You See What You Are: The Village Is Your Mind “There was a person coming to a new village, relocating, and he was wondering if he would like it there, so he went to the zen master and asked: do…
When Silence Becomes a Competition: A Lesson in Ego
When Silence Becomes a Competition: A Lesson in Ego “Four monks decided to meditate silently without speaking for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle began to flicker and then went out. The first monk said, “Oh,…