The Poetic Koan: Four Lines, Infinite Meaning “A well-known Japanese poet was asked how to compose a Chinese poem. “The usual Chinese poem is four lines,” he explains. “The first line contains the initial phase; the second line, the continuation…
This Too Shall Pass: A Meditation Lesson “A student went to his meditation teacher and said, “My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I’m constantly falling asleep. It’s just horrible!” “It will pass,” the…
Don’t Make Inside or Outside: The Wisdom of Zen Master Seung Sahn “A student spoke up in the assembly at one of the centers of Korean Son/Zen master Seung Sahn, saying, “It seems that in Christianity God is outside me,…
The Silent Teacher: How Discipline Reveals Genius “A dramatic ballad singer studied under a strict teacher who insisted that he rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song, without being permitted to go any…
The Discipline of One Path: A Martial Art Parable A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. “I’d like to improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you, I’d like to study with…
Don’t Make Inside or Outside: The Wisdom of Zen Master Seung Sahn The Silent Teacher: How Discipline Reveals Genius The Discipline of One Path: A Martial Parable
You Can Not Please Everyone. “A man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said : “You fool, what is a Donkey for…
Why Should I feel Bad? “Once, there was this guy, who was in love with a girl. She wasn’t the most beautiful and gorgeous but for him, she was everything. He used to dream about her, about spending the rest…
What The Drop Taketh “The anecdotes of Emperor Akbar and his trusted aide Birbal are entertaining as well as enlightening. Once, the Emperor received the gift of a rare perfume. As he opened the bottle, a drop of perfume…
True Tranquility “Once upon a time in ancient China, the Emperor was in his study, looking over volumes of diplomatic documents. He found it hard to concentrate, so he summoned his most trusted Minister. When the Minister arrived, he saw…