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 “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 “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 “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 “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 “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,…
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, I cannot watch a person’s face, so I must judge…
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…