Rejoice always! – a Zen Parable

The beauty of Orchids One Chan master loved orchids, and planted all sorts of different orchids. When his time was not occupied by giving Buddhist talks,...

Socratic triple filter

Truth, Goodness and Usefulness In ancient Greece, Socrates was held in high esteem for his wisdom and teaching others how to live a good life....

Happiness is a choice

A simple choice One man was happy all his life. He smiled and laughed all the time, no one ever saw him sad. On occasion,...

Be alive! A zen parable

It is enough just to be alive One morning Master Lin-chi was in the temple. Soon a young man came in and sat nearby with...

Who Am I? Zen Proverbs

Who are you? Keiji, a long-time Zen student, approached his master and said: “I don’t see how there can be any enlightenment that sets you...

See the whole picture. Useful parable

Seeing things holistically After years of searching, the seeker was told to go to a cave, in which he would find a well. 'Ask the...

In the same boat

The parable of the unity of fate Two people were out on the ocean in a boat. One of them began drilling in the bottom of...

Carry your cross. The parable of the uniqueness of fate

Be yourself! One day a crowd of people was walking along the road. Each carried his own cross on his shoulder. One person thought that his...

Wonder of Wonders

A group of American school children were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders Of The World." Though there were...

Parable about Alexander the Great and Opportunity

Parable on Opportunity One day Alexander the Great was going about town, just walking with his troops and roaming about the market. In one of...

Girl by the river

Two Zen monks, Tanzan (1819-1892) and Ekido, traveling on pilgrimage, came to a muddy river crossing. There they saw a lovely young woman dressed in her...

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...