Enlight Treasure One important gentleman asked Master Takuan to advise him on how best to spend his time. He felt that his days were absorbed in his institution and he was constantly trying to sit still in order to wi... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Reality, not a dream One morning Bokuju woke up and immediately called out to his senior student: - Listen, I had a strange dream. Could you explain its meaning? - Wait! “First, I will bring you some water so you can wash... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight The path of liberation Doshin once asked his teacher, the third Patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Sosan: - Please show me the path to liberation. - Who enslaved you and when? - Nobody. “If this is so,” said the teacher, “then why ... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight There is power in words Yoyo came to Joshu to receive instruction in Zen. “I fasted a lot in my youth, my body grew old early, and I no longer have the strength to get up from my chair to greet those who come to me,” said Jo... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Sleeping during the day Teacher Shon Saku left this world when he was 61 years old. Having completed his life's task, he left behind a great teaching, much richer than that of most other Zen teachers. Usually his students sl... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Smart and stupid student Bodhidharma was once asked: “Who can be called a smart student and who can be called a stupid student?” Bodhidharma replied: “The intelligent student is not attached to the words of the teacher, he us... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Sympathy for Bokuju Bokuju was walking with a student to the temple after a morning walk. A man came up from behind, hit him hard on the back with a stick and ran away. Bokuju didn't even turn around; he continued his wa... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Consciousness ahead One young man who studied Zen under Bankei became interested in martial arts. One day, deciding to test the strength of his mentor’s spirit, he attacked Bankei with a spear while he was sitting, suspe... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight San-shen meets a student One day, while talking to his monks, San-shen said: — When a student comes, I go out to meet him without the intention of helping him. His brother, Hsin-hua, heard this remark and said: — When a stude... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Essence of Zu-Ming Ts'ui-Yen, thinking that he had already achieved something in Zen, left the Ts'u-Ming monastery as a very young monk and went to wander around China. When he visited the monastery many years later, hi... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Your light may go out A student studying Tendai, the philosophical school of Buddhism, came to the Zen teacher Gazan to become his student. When he was about to leave a few years later, Gadzan warned him: — Speculative stu... Parables Zen Parables
Enlight Emptiness Once upon a time, a student came to Monk Josh, who is said to have begun studying Zen at the age of sixty, received insight at eighty, and then taught until he was one hundred and twenty years old, wi... Parables Zen Parables
