| Zen
|
| |
| Working
very hard |
| A
martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, "I am devoted
to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it."
The teacher's reply was casual, "ten years." Impatiently, the student answered,
"but I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will
practice every day, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will
it take then?" The teacher thought for a moment, "20 years." |
| |
| Transient |
|
A famous spiritual
teacher came to the front door of the King's palace. None of the guards
tried to stop him as he entered and made his way to where the King himself
was sitting on the throne.
"What do you want?" asked the King immediately recognizing the visitor.
"I would like a place to sleep in this inn," replied the teacher.
"But this is not an inn," said the King, "it is my place".
"May I ask who owned this palace before you?"
"My father. He is dead"
"And who owned it before him."
"My grandfather. He too is dead."
"And this place where people live for a short time and then move on -
did I hear you say that it is NOT an inn?"
|
| |
| The
present moment |
| A
Japanese warrior was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That
night he was unable to sleep because he feared that the next day he would
be interrogated, tortured and executed. Then the words of his Zen master
came to him, "tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality
is now." Heeding these words, the warrior became peaceful and fell asleep. |
| |
| The
Nature of Things |
Two
monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion
that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the
bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and
once again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved him again and was again
stung.
The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion
when you know its nature is to sting?"
"Because" the monk replied, "to save it is my nature." |
| |
| The
Moon Cannot be Stolen |
| A
Zen Master lived the simplest kind of live in a little hut at the foot of
the mountain. One evening, while he was away, a thief sneaked into the hut
only to find there was nothing in it to steal. The Zen Master returned and
found him, "You have come all this long way to visit me," he told the prowler,
"and you should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a gift."
The thief was bewildered, but he took the clothes and ran away. The master
sat naked, watching the moon, "Poor fellow," He mused, "I wish I could give
him this beautiful moon." |
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