A Cup of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a universityprofessor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s...

Parable of Heaven and Hell

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said:"Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are...

Girl by the river

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

“This is good!”

One African King had a close friend with whom he grew up.The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred...

The Water Bearer

A beautiful flowers  A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One 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...

The Two Wolves

Life lesson by old Cherokee chief An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life... “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to...

Sharpen your saw!

A short story about  effectivness of Method One man who was walking through a forest when he came across a frustrated lumberjack. A lumberjack was...

Dream of a butterfly

Once Chuang Chou dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around,happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he...

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...

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,...

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...