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The 10 Very Best Zen Storieswritten by Myrko [http://www.myrkothum.com/about/] . Follow me on twitter [http://twitter.com/myrko] . Average
Reading Time: about 8 minutes.
Zen Garden photo [http://www.terragalleria.com/asia/japan/kyoto/picture.japa6260.html] copyright by QT Luong of
terragaleria.com [http://www.terragalleria.com]
Many teachings from Zen-Buddhism are told in short and delightful zen stories.
They are usually designed to develop the mind and to free it from distortions and
so to connect with our spirit.
Some of them are really inspiring and enlightening. It is helpful to the mind to
think about them and feel the deeper meaning. Even if it is not possible to grasp
them fully, the beauty and simplicity of the message usually gets through to us
one way or the other.
The following 10 Zen stories are a selection of the ones I found most inspiring
and really worth to ponder about. Some may be instantly understood, some
others need to be thought through and recognized in oneself.
The 10 Very Best Zen Stories - Myrko Thum http://www.myrkothum.com/the-10-very-best-zen-stories/
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They are about the following topics: life in the present moment, different
perspectives, attachment, resistance, judgment, delusion, beliefs and thought as
mental concepts but not truth and unconditional love. Please feel free to post
your interpretation or other stories into the comments.
After reading the first, follow it’s advice to read all the others. :)
1. A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a
university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It
is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations.
How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
2. The Burden
Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and
there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young
woman was standing unable to walk accross because of a puddle of water. The
elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her and left her on the other side of
the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as
monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"
The elder monk answered "yes, brother".
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Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that
woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him " I left her on the other side of the
road, but you are still carrying her."
3. Finding a Piece of the Truth
One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his
attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on
wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him.
Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth."
"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his
attendant asked. "No," Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief
out of it."
4. The Other Side
One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide
river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for
hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up
his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the
river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, "Oh wise one, can you tell me
how to get to the other side of this river"?
The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back,
"My son, you are on the other side".
5. Is That So?
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.
The 10 Very Best Zen Stories - Myrko Thum http://www.myrkothum.com/the-10-very-best-zen-stories/
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A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him.
Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.
This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but
after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was
viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the
child since it was his responsibility. “Is that so?” Hakuin said calmly as he
accepted the child.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the
truth – that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the
fishmarket.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness,
to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"
6. Maybe
Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many
years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came
to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.
“How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
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“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown,
and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his
misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the
army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors
congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
7. Cliffhanger
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious
tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself,
he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice.
As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing
on the vine.
Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and
popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
8. The Blind Men and the Elephant
Several citizens ran into a hot argument about God and different religions, and
each one could not agree to a common answer. So they came to the Lord Buddha
to find out what exactly God looks like.
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The Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four
blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to find
out what the elephant would "look" like.
The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a
pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that an
elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and said that
it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described the
elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the
"appearance" of an elephant.
The Buddha asked the citizens: "Each blind man had touched the elephant but
each of them gives a different description of the animal. Which answer is right?"
9. Right and Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of
Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught
stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be
expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the
matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the
dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise
brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right. You may
go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know
right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here
even if all the rest of you leave."
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to
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steal had vanished.
10. Nothing Exists
Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He
called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.
Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient
beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There
is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and
nothing to be received."
Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka
with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.
"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"
Bonus 11. Teaching the Ultimate
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles
inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry
home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if
you don’t have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far
someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to
the stranger. "Can’t you see this lantern?"
The 10 Very Best Zen Stories - Myrko Thum http://www.myrkothum.com/the-10-very-best-zen-stories/
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"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
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47 comments
Discussion Community
• Reply •
Very inspiring. Also thanks for the stories told through the commentaries. :DDesignerlm • 15 days ago
0
• Reply •
Well, it was really beautiful!!! But i din't quite get #4. The other side.. Can anyone pleaseexplain? :)
Nidish • a month ago
0
• Reply •
I really enjoyed the Cup of Tea story. It is hard for one to move forward when they are sobogged down by the past.
textbook rental • 7 months ago
0
• Reply •
Chandra thanks for those 3 additions.
"Working Very Hard" is almost a bit funny. What do you think is it telling us?I'd say it's showing the pitfalls of over-ambition and lack of balance, when true understanding is missing.
"The Gift of Insults" is a really intelligent one.
Myrko • 7 months ago
0
I would like to suggest three more:
The Gift of InsultsThere once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. Hisreputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him.One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man todefeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit anyweakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing aweakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted withhim in a match beyond the first move.
Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior'schallenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. Hethrew dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known tomankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warriorexhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.
Chandra Sekhar M • 8 months ago
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What's this? ALSO ON PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT TRANSFORMS
10 Inspirational Quotes by The BuddhaManjula — Hi MyrkoThanks a lot for theexplanationsVery inspiring indeedCheersManjula
Interview with Evelyn Lim ofAbundanceTapestry.com
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Finding the Right Career (Part 1)—
The Meaning of the Finger Pointing to theMoon
Usha Pillai — The June 12, 2009 post by Sensualphotography really set me thinking. How can one
attain higher leve...
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