- Parable of Opportunities and Time
- “Maybe” – Parable of Wisdom
- Parable of Heaven and Hell
- Sharpen your saw!
- Dream of a butterfly
- The secret of Art
- Entering a Flow State
- I am building a temple
- Donkey in the well
- Secret of Happiness
- Everything God does is for the good!
- Two apples
- The Two Wolves
- The Burning Hut
- “This is good!”
- The Water Bearer
- A Cup of Tea
- Girl by the river
- Parable about Alexander the Great and Opportunity
- Wonder of Wonders
- Carry your cross. The parable of the uniqueness of fate
- In the same boat
- See the whole picture. Useful parable
- Who Am I? Zen Proverbs
- Be alive! A zen parable
- Happiness is a choice
- Socratic triple filter
- Timeless Wisdom: Rejoice Always! – A Powerful Zen Parable
- A Parable on Real Value and Self-Worth
Rejoice in 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, he would spend time taking care of his flowers, because they were as important to him as his own life.
One day, before going on a journey he specifically asked his disciples to take good care of his orchids.
As instructed by his Master, the Disciples watered the orchids every day. On a particular day, when they were watering the orchids, they hit a stand with flowers and the pots with orchids fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
The Disciples felt terrible and did not know what else to do but to wait until his Master returned and own up to his mistake.
The next day, when the Chan Master returned from his trip, the Disciples went to him and confessed, “Master, we are so sorry that we have ruined your beloved orchids. We beg for your compassion and please don’t be furious with us!”
The Chan Master remained tranquil and calm, he responded, “Indeed, the orchids are beautiful and I love them very much. However, I planted them only to make offerings to the Buddha, also to cultivate diligence also to cultivate diligence and to make our surroundings more beautiful. I most certainly did not plant these orchids in order to get angry.
A Zen Parable