Category BlogStory

The Sound of Truth: Hearing What Eyes Cannot See “After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s temple told a friend: “Since I am blind,

The Zen of Not Reaching: How Presence Reveals the Truth “A young but earnest Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the Zen Master: “If I work very hard and diligent how long will it take for me to find…

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…