101 Zen Stories
- Thread starter EvilPoet
- Start date
A famous teacher took his pupils into a clearing in the forest that was known as a home for wild monkeys.
There he took a hollow gourd with a small hole and inserted sweetened rice (a favorite of monkeys). Then
he chained the gourd to a stake and waited with his class. Soon a very large monkey approached, sniffed
the rice, inserted his paw, and screeched in frustration when he was unable to withdraw his paw (now a
fist) through the narrow opening.
Just then a leopard approached and hearing the monkey screeching decided to have monkey for his dinner.
"Let go of the rice. Run!" screamed the pupils, but to no avail because the monkey in his hunger for the rice,
refused to let go and was as a consequence caught and eaten by the leopard.
"What was the trap that killed the monkey?" asked the master. "Rice," said one student. "The ground," said
another. "No," replied the wise teacher. "The trap was greed."
Source: Zen Fables For Today
There he took a hollow gourd with a small hole and inserted sweetened rice (a favorite of monkeys). Then
he chained the gourd to a stake and waited with his class. Soon a very large monkey approached, sniffed
the rice, inserted his paw, and screeched in frustration when he was unable to withdraw his paw (now a
fist) through the narrow opening.
Just then a leopard approached and hearing the monkey screeching decided to have monkey for his dinner.
"Let go of the rice. Run!" screamed the pupils, but to no avail because the monkey in his hunger for the rice,
refused to let go and was as a consequence caught and eaten by the leopard.
"What was the trap that killed the monkey?" asked the master. "Rice," said one student. "The ground," said
another. "No," replied the wise teacher. "The trap was greed."
Source: Zen Fables For Today
A lion was taken into captivity and thrown into a concentration camp where, to his amazement, he found other lions who had been there for years, some of them all their lives, for they had been born there. He soon became acquainted with the social activities of the camp lions. They banded themselves into groups. One group consisted of the socializers; another was into show business; another was cultural, for its purpose was to carefully preserve the customs, the tradition, and the history of the times when lions were free; other groups were religious -- they gathered mostly to sing moving songs about a future jungle where there would be no fences; some groups attracted those who were literary and artistic by nature; others still were revolutionary, and they met to plot against their captors or against other revolutionary groups. Every now and then a revolution would break out, one particular group would be wiped out by another, or the guards would all be killed and replaced by another set of guards.
As he looked around, the newcomer observed one lion who always seemed deep in thought, a loner who belonged to no group and mostly kept away from everyone. There was something strange about him that commanded everyone's admiration and everyone's hostility, for his presence aroused fear and self-doubt. He said to the newcomer, "Join no group. These poor fools are busy with everything except what is essential."
"And what do you think is most essential?" asked the newcomer.
"Studying the nature of the fence."
As he looked around, the newcomer observed one lion who always seemed deep in thought, a loner who belonged to no group and mostly kept away from everyone. There was something strange about him that commanded everyone's admiration and everyone's hostility, for his presence aroused fear and self-doubt. He said to the newcomer, "Join no group. These poor fools are busy with everything except what is essential."
"And what do you think is most essential?" asked the newcomer.
"Studying the nature of the fence."
Parable Of The Arrow
A man approached the Blessed One and wanted to have all his philosophical questions answered before he
would practice. In response, the Buddha said, "It is as if a man had been wounded by a poisoned arrow and
when attended to by a physician were to say, 'I will not allow you to remove this arrow until I have learned
the caste, the age, the occupation, the birthplace, and the motivation of the person who wounded me.' That
man would die before having learned all this. In exactly the same way, anyone who should say, 'I will not
follow the teaching of the Blessed One until the Blessed One has explained all the multiform truths of the
world'---that person would die before the Buddha had explained all this."
Source: The Teachings of the Buddha by Jack Kornfield
A man approached the Blessed One and wanted to have all his philosophical questions answered before he
would practice. In response, the Buddha said, "It is as if a man had been wounded by a poisoned arrow and
when attended to by a physician were to say, 'I will not allow you to remove this arrow until I have learned
the caste, the age, the occupation, the birthplace, and the motivation of the person who wounded me.' That
man would die before having learned all this. In exactly the same way, anyone who should say, 'I will not
follow the teaching of the Blessed One until the Blessed One has explained all the multiform truths of the
world'---that person would die before the Buddha had explained all this."
Source: The Teachings of the Buddha by Jack Kornfield
"If a person's mind becomes pure, their surroundings will also become pure." - Buddha
A great and foolish King complained that the rough ground hurt his feet, so he ordered the whole country to be carpeted with cowhide.
The court jester laughed when the King told him of his order. "What an absolutely crazy idea, Your Majesty," he smiled. "Why all the needless expense? Just cut out two small pads to protect your feet!"
A great and foolish King complained that the rough ground hurt his feet, so he ordered the whole country to be carpeted with cowhide.
The court jester laughed when the King told him of his order. "What an absolutely crazy idea, Your Majesty," he smiled. "Why all the needless expense? Just cut out two small pads to protect your feet!"
Originally posted by Firefly
I like this format the best - that way I can read the saying and dwell on it for a bit, before reading the explanatory story. Could you post others like this?
I like that format too, but i was the one who matched that quote and that story up with each other, and of the parables that i've collected here and there over the years, that's one of the few that i've done it for. Or rather, that's one of the few that i've had it occur to me that a quote and parable were compatible enough with each other to share together like that. So, you may not end up seeing it too often.
What do you eat with?
Once there was a monk who was an expert on the Diamond Sutra, and as books were very valuable in his day, he carried the only copy in his part of the world on his back. He was widely sought after for his readings and insight into the Diamond Sutra, and very successful at propounding its profundities to not only monks and masters but to the lay people as well.
Thus the people of that region came to know of the Diamond Sutra, and as the monk was traveling on a mountain road, he came upon an old woman selling tea and cakes. The hungry monk would have loved to refresh himself, but alas, he had no money. He told the old woman, "I have upon my back a treasure beyond knowing -- the Diamond Sutra. If you will give me some tea and cakes, I will tell you of this great treasure of knowledge."
The old woman knew something of the Diamond Sutra herself, and proposed her own bargain. She said, "Oh learned monk, if you will answer a simple question, I will give you tea and cakes." To this the monk readily agreed. The woman then said, "When you eat these cakes, are you eating with the mind of the past, the mind of the present or the mind of the future?"
No answer occurred to the monk, so he took the pack from his back and got out the text of the Diamond Sutra, hoping he could find the answer. As he studied and pondered, the day grew late and the old woman packed up her things to go home for the day.
"You are a foolish monk indeed," said the old woman as she left the hungry monk in his quandary. "You eat the tea and cakes with your mouth."
Source: A lighter side of Buddhism
____________________________________________
Firefly: Regarding the format of the stories - although you
addressed your request to Lykan, I wanted to let you know
that I will keep your request in mind the next time I post
a story.
Once there was a monk who was an expert on the Diamond Sutra, and as books were very valuable in his day, he carried the only copy in his part of the world on his back. He was widely sought after for his readings and insight into the Diamond Sutra, and very successful at propounding its profundities to not only monks and masters but to the lay people as well.
Thus the people of that region came to know of the Diamond Sutra, and as the monk was traveling on a mountain road, he came upon an old woman selling tea and cakes. The hungry monk would have loved to refresh himself, but alas, he had no money. He told the old woman, "I have upon my back a treasure beyond knowing -- the Diamond Sutra. If you will give me some tea and cakes, I will tell you of this great treasure of knowledge."
The old woman knew something of the Diamond Sutra herself, and proposed her own bargain. She said, "Oh learned monk, if you will answer a simple question, I will give you tea and cakes." To this the monk readily agreed. The woman then said, "When you eat these cakes, are you eating with the mind of the past, the mind of the present or the mind of the future?"
No answer occurred to the monk, so he took the pack from his back and got out the text of the Diamond Sutra, hoping he could find the answer. As he studied and pondered, the day grew late and the old woman packed up her things to go home for the day.
"You are a foolish monk indeed," said the old woman as she left the hungry monk in his quandary. "You eat the tea and cakes with your mouth."
Source: A lighter side of Buddhism
____________________________________________
Firefly: Regarding the format of the stories - although you
addressed your request to Lykan, I wanted to let you know
that I will keep your request in mind the next time I post
a story.
Dave the Druid
Registered Senior Member
Zen Story
One day a man approached Ikkyu and asked: "Master, will please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?"
Ikkyu took his brush and wrote: "Attention."
"Is that all?" asked the man.
Ikkyu then wrote: "Attention, Attention."
"Well," said the man, "I really don't see much depth in what you have written."
The Ikkyu wrote the same word three times: "Attention, Attention, Attention."
Half-angered, the man demanded: "What does that word 'Attention' mean, anyway?"
Ikkyu gently responded, Attention means attention."
Source <u>The Little Zen Companion</u>
Dave the Druid
One day a man approached Ikkyu and asked: "Master, will please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?"
Ikkyu took his brush and wrote: "Attention."
"Is that all?" asked the man.
Ikkyu then wrote: "Attention, Attention."
"Well," said the man, "I really don't see much depth in what you have written."
The Ikkyu wrote the same word three times: "Attention, Attention, Attention."
Half-angered, the man demanded: "What does that word 'Attention' mean, anyway?"
Ikkyu gently responded, Attention means attention."
Source <u>The Little Zen Companion</u>
Dave the Druid
Last edited:
Dave the Druid
Registered Senior Member
Firefly
Are you asking me or someone else?
Are you asking me or someone else?
Dave the Druid
Registered Senior Member
Cryptic quotes?
Firefly,
I think any decent book store will have a number of Zen resources.
Consider the concepts of 'being' and 'nothingness' as being completely related and totaly seperate.
Dave the Druid
Firefly,
I think any decent book store will have a number of Zen resources.
Consider the concepts of 'being' and 'nothingness' as being completely related and totaly seperate.
Dave the Druid
Dave the Druid
Registered Senior Member
Ego anyone?
Two Zen debaters, reputedly the best in all of Japan, were to meet in verbal combat in Edo at the great celebration honoring the birth of Buddha. For this event scholars flocked from as far away as Hokkaido to marvel at the brilliance of these teachers.
During the competition, first one master would prevail on one day and on the next day the other master would counter, until by the end of the fourth day they were even.
Each of these masters traveled with retinues of supporters, who cheered their champions and pampered them like minor princes.
During the night of the fifth and final debate the two great adversaries parried and thrust at each other, to the delight and cheers of their separate retinues. As each master would score a telling point, he would puff himself up and walk in a circle to the applause of his supporters.
All of which was fine until a great explosion ripped through the hall, an explosion so great that all the lanterns and candles were blown out. When order and light were restored, it was discovered that both of the masters had exploded -- making a huge mess over the altar and ceiling and even those sitting in the front rows.
Two Zen debaters, reputedly the best in all of Japan, were to meet in verbal combat in Edo at the great celebration honoring the birth of Buddha. For this event scholars flocked from as far away as Hokkaido to marvel at the brilliance of these teachers.
During the competition, first one master would prevail on one day and on the next day the other master would counter, until by the end of the fourth day they were even.
Each of these masters traveled with retinues of supporters, who cheered their champions and pampered them like minor princes.
During the night of the fifth and final debate the two great adversaries parried and thrust at each other, to the delight and cheers of their separate retinues. As each master would score a telling point, he would puff himself up and walk in a circle to the applause of his supporters.
All of which was fine until a great explosion ripped through the hall, an explosion so great that all the lanterns and candles were blown out. When order and light were restored, it was discovered that both of the masters had exploded -- making a huge mess over the altar and ceiling and even those sitting in the front rows.
A gifted young painter of extraordinary talent had been apprenticed to a renowned painter, who when he recognized the boy's gifts became intensely jealous.
"No, that is not the way to do it!" he would shout. "You will do better painting houses than pictures."
Slowly the boy's confidence ebbed. No matter how hard he tried, the painter found fault and humiliated the boy in front of the other students.
One day the painting assignment was goldfish. The boy closed his eyes and called up a splendid fat fish from his uncle's pond. This he painted.
"No. No. No!" screamed the teacher and threw the boy's picture into the water, where to everyone's amazement the painted fish proceeded to swim away.
"No, that is not the way to do it!" he would shout. "You will do better painting houses than pictures."
Slowly the boy's confidence ebbed. No matter how hard he tried, the painter found fault and humiliated the boy in front of the other students.
One day the painting assignment was goldfish. The boy closed his eyes and called up a splendid fat fish from his uncle's pond. This he painted.
"No. No. No!" screamed the teacher and threw the boy's picture into the water, where to everyone's amazement the painted fish proceeded to swim away.
Firefly,
I know you addressed this question to Dave the Druid but curiosity has gotten the better of me - what challenge are you referring to?
"See, I like these stories, but I just don't understand what they're trying to say."
"Zen stories - The Zen tradition has thousands of short, illustrative stories about how earlier masters gained insight. Many are in the form of dialogues, usually between a master and a student. They are like "cases" or "precedents" in the study of law or business. They are intended to point out the way, like a finger pointing out at the moon. Some of these stories are quite beautiful, while many others seem to involve pointless or incomprehensible behavior. In fact they can always be explained, and they always have a point. However, in explaining them, something vital is lost, just as when one explains a joke. In Rinzai, some of these stories are distilled into koans, and used as focal points for meditation."
Source: Learning Guide to Buddhism
I know you addressed this question to Dave the Druid but curiosity has gotten the better of me - what challenge are you referring to?
"See, I like these stories, but I just don't understand what they're trying to say."
"Zen stories - The Zen tradition has thousands of short, illustrative stories about how earlier masters gained insight. Many are in the form of dialogues, usually between a master and a student. They are like "cases" or "precedents" in the study of law or business. They are intended to point out the way, like a finger pointing out at the moon. Some of these stories are quite beautiful, while many others seem to involve pointless or incomprehensible behavior. In fact they can always be explained, and they always have a point. However, in explaining them, something vital is lost, just as when one explains a joke. In Rinzai, some of these stories are distilled into koans, and used as focal points for meditation."
Source: Learning Guide to Buddhism